Ospidillo Cafe Morel Mushrooms

Are you tired of soggy fried morels? These morels are crispy on the outside, perfect on the inside and more delicious than you can imagine. Morel Mushrooms are usually picked in the wild, on north-facing hill slopes, under groves of tulip poplar trees, or; in apple orchards, or; in wooded areas where there was a forest fire on the previous year. In Zone 6, begin looking the second week of April, through the second week of May. A top state for wild morels is Michigan. The best conditions include warm, balmy days, two days after a soaking rain.

• Ready In: 8 hrs 8 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1  cup  ka-me tempura  batter frying mix
• 1  cup water
• 2  cups Crisco shortening
• 1  teaspoon  paul prudhomme's poultry magic  seasoning (optional)
• 20  fresh morels
• 2  quarts  of heavily salt water

Directions

1. Slice the morels lengthways and soak overnight (or up to 24 hours) in the salt water in the refrigerator.
2. Drain and rinse the mushrooms in cold water.
3. Dry the mushrooms on a towel.
4. Mix the batter, using the tempura mix, the 1 cup of water and the Poultry Magic (if used -- seasoned salt can also be used if you can't find the Poultry Magic).
5. In a large skillet, melt the Crisco over high heat.
6. When the Crisco has melted and is very hot (375-400 degrees), dip each mushroom half in batter and drop into the skillet. Make them in several batches -- do not crowd them.
7. Fry until brown, turning them once.
8. Serve hot.
9. (The cooking time is "per batch").