Morels, with their tall hollow elf house like honeycomb exteriors, begin popping up in pastures, orchards and meadows in late spring—one of the few species of mushrooms in the world that is foraged long before the autumnal equinox when most mushroom species are plentiful. The meaty—think the texture of perfectly cooked filet—lends itself to a simple, yet elegant, preparation in which the morels are the star and humble, velvety eggs scrambled with plenty of butter low and slow French style are the supporting cast. A wild edible that must be picked by hand, look for it in farmers markets and specialty grocer’s beginning in late April. The season is short but worthy of a special trip to secure a handful or two. 

cuisine American
difficulty Simple
serves 6

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces fresh morel mushrooms
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 tablespoon shallots, minced
  • 2 teaspoons sea salt
  • 2 teaspoons freshly and finely ground black pepper
  • 2 cups baby spinach
  • 12 fresh cage free eggs
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter

Directions

  1. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the morels, shallot, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Toss to distribute ingredients evenly and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the shallots are softened. Turn off the heat.
  2. While the mushroom mixture is cooking, heat 2 tablespoons of the butter in a medium non-stick skillet over low heat.
  3. Crack the eggs into a glass bowl and whisk until the eggs are blended.
  4. Pour the eggs into the non-stick skillet. Cook the eggs on low heat, whisking them from time to time until they form soft, velvety curd—this will take about 8 to 10 minutes.
  5. Season the eggs with the remaining teaspoon of salt and teaspoon of pepper. The eggs are finished cooking when the curds just begin to set.
  6. Just before the eggs are finished cooking, turn the heat under the skillet filled with the mushrooms to medium and toss in the spinach. Cook for 1 minute or until the mushrooms are heated through and the greens just barely cooked.
  7. Transfer the eggs to a serving plate and top with the mushroom and spinach mixture.