Rehydrating a dried morel
without waste

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Equipment needed.

• A large bowl or salad bowl
• Lukewarm water (40 to 50 °C)
• A fine sieve or chinois
• A clean tea towel or absorbent paper
• A container to collect the soaking water

Rehydration steps.

1. Weigh the dried morels. Allow 10 to 15 g of dried morels per person for a standard portion. Morels expand to 3 to 4 times their original volume.

2. Rinse briefly. Rinse the morels under a stream of cold water to remove surface particles. Drain immediately.

3. Soaking. Place the morels in a bowl of lukewarm water. The temperature speeds up rehydration without altering the flavour. Leave to soak for 20 to 30 minutes.

4. Check the texture. A well-rehydrated morel should be soft and fleshy, with no hard areas in the centre. If necessary, extend the soaking time by 10 minutes.

5. Filter the soaking water. Pour the contents of the bowl into a fine sieve placed over a container. Collect the water, which concentrates the flavours. Avoid squeezing the morels to prevent releasing unwanted particles.

6. Rinse again. Rinse the morels under cold water to remove any remaining residue. Drain on absorbent paper.

Using the soaking water.

The soaking water, rich in flavour, can be incorporated into a sauce or stock. It must be brought to a boil for at least 20 minutes before consumption, to eliminate the thermolabile compounds present in raw morels.

Filter the water a second time through a coffee filter or cheesecloth to remove any sediment. It can be stored in the refrigerator for 24 hours.

Common mistakes.

• Soaking in cold water. Slows down rehydration and can result in less flavourful morels.
• Soaking for too long. Beyond 45 minutes, morels lose their firmness and absorb too much water, diluting their flavour.
• Not filtering the soaking water. Risk of finding particles of earth or sand in the final preparation.
• Squeezing the morels. Releases residues and results in a soft texture.
• Using raw soaking water. Health risk: thermolabile compounds are not destroyed.

View dried morels