Baked Morel Escargot is a modern British recipe (based on a French original) for a classic starter of morel mushrooms cooked in garlic and herb flavoured butter in the same manner as escargot (snails). The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Baked Morel Escargot.
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This recipe was prepared in a cast iron escargot pan, known as an aebelskiver pan which my aunt brought back from Brittany for me. I forage for both edible snails and morels and this escargot recipe works well for either. Fresh morels are best, but dried and reconstituted can be used at a pinch.
Ingredients:
500g large morels (white or black), wiped clean and halved lengthways
60g breadcrumbs, lightly toasted (preferably artisanal bread)
30g wild herb (eg ramsons, wild chervil, parsley), or another mild herb, like chives, chervil or coriander), finely chopped
100g unsalted butter at room temperature
¼ tsp freshly-ground black pepper
Tiny pinch of freshly-ground caraway seeds, optional
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 small garlic clove
A few gratings of fresh lemon zest and a dash of lemon juice
Method:
Swish the split morels in water and inspect for insects, maggots, bits of moss, or anything that isn’t mushroom. Trim any small discoloured bits of morel, if present.
Sweat the mushrooms in a medium-sized pan with a pinch of salt and a spoonful of water, covered, until totally wilted and pliable. Pour off any liquid then use a slotted spoon to transfer the morels to a clean tea towel to cool and drain.
Combine the garlic, salt, black pepper, ground caraway, lemon zest and juice in a mortar. Use the pestle to mash the garlic with the other ingredients. Gradually work in the chopped herbs, mashing them thoroughly to combine. Slowly add the butter, mashing it into a paste and incorporating with the other ingredients.
Arrange the morels flat on a work surface and using a small spatula spread the inside of each mushroom with a generous amount of the garlic-herb butter paste. Finish with a generous sprinkling of breadcrumbs.
Roll each morel up into the semblance of a snail, secure each with a toothpick, then arrange in a baking dish. Place a small nugget of butter on top of each morel, dust with breadcrumbs, and bake in an oven pre-heated to 200°C for 15 minutes, or until golden, sizzling, and aromatic.
Let the morels cool for a little, so you don’t burn your mouth. Serve with an aperitif, like a glass of champagne, to celebrate a succesful day's foraging.
