Stuffed Morels

If you don't know, morels are wild mushrooms. They are only found at certain times of the year. Usually anywhere from April to June in the US, depending on where you live.
They do sell kits where you can grow your own, but I don't know anyone that has had any luck growing their own.

I love these. Morels come in grey, which are small and come up first. Later on, the yellows pop and they are the larger ones for stuffing.

If you don't hunt them, know of anyone who does, or can't buy any- use the large stuffer button mushrooms available at the supermarket.

You will need a deep fryer or wide pan, deep enough for frying the mushrooms.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup cream cheese, softened
large pinch of garlic powder
pinch of salt
large pinch of dried parsley flakes
pinch of pepper
large pinch of dried tarragon
large pinch of dried thyme 

10 to 12 large capped morels

1-1/2 cups flour OR mix of ground flax seed and your choice of flour
1-3/4 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 to 3/4 cup milk

oil for frying

Mix the cream cheese, pinch of salt, pepper and herbs in a bowl and let rest while you ready the mushrooms.
Cut the stems up to where the caps of the morels start. Save the stems for another use.
With a small spoon and /or fingers fill each of the mushroom caps. Sometimes the cap openings are too narrow to fit a spoon into, but your finger works well to push it in there.
Set aside and get your coating stuff ready.
In one bowl, pour the milk.
In another bowl, mix the flour, 1-1/2 teaspoon salt, and cayenne pepper.
Dip each mushroom into the milk than into the flour mixture and repeat to get a good coating.
Put onto a plate and stick in the freezer for at least 3 hours so the coating won't come off and the cheese won't leak out during deep frying.

Heat your oil to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. You want the oil to be at least a couple inches deep to cover the shrooms.
Add the morels to the oil one by one so they don't stick together and fry until coating is a golden brown color.
This will take about 5 or 6 minutes.
Drain on paper towels and serve.

You can eat with a dip of your choosing or as is, like I do.

If you have extra cheese filling left, it is great spread on crackers.

These are great as a do ahead  of time. I like to make enough to have more than one time and keep them in the freezer.