Morel than a Feeling

Matthew Levin on makin' mushrooms

by A.D. Amorosi

The mysterious morel mushroom is as misunderstood as the ending of No Country for Old Men. But if anyone should be schooling foodies on genus Morchella, it's Lacroix executive chef Matthew Levin. He's hosting a five-course morel dinner on May 7.

First of all, don't confuse morels with the more-famous truffle — they're different animals. While truffles flourish under the soil, woody morels sprout up above ground under trees, especially after forest fires. The aromatics are different, as well. "For lack of a better word, [truffles] smell like body odor — pungent and sour," says Levin. Taste-wise, morels have an intense, earthy flavor profile and durability, something Levin sees as a necessity in all forms of cooking, French or otherwise. "I can roast them hard to bring out the texture. They can [also] be puréed and made into a sauce or a soup," he says of the versatile ingredient, the cap of which resembles a honeycomb or sponge. "You can use them raw in salad or poach them in vanilla for dessert."

Morels and truffles do have one similarity, though — they're extremely sought after due to their scarcity. How rare are they? Every year, they tend to crop up in a six- to eight-week period that started two weeks ago. (Just remember to leave the foraging to experts — many mushrooms that resemble morels are poisonous and can kill you.)

For the dinner, which will feature wine pairings, Levin's doing an "almost consommé" of white morel stock that he'll serve with tempura salmon and a mint condiment designed to cut through the fattiness of the fish. The chef will also sear a saddle of veal punched up with fava beans and hand-rolled sourdough pasta with pecorino. He'll offer a savory, crusty morel bread and is bringing in filets of wild turbot from Holland ("It's very pricey fish with little chance [for you] to eat outside of Ducasse," Levin says) to serve with morels stuffed with locally grown tomatillo and sautéed with a licorice root and lavender sauce. "Lavender doesn't get its props," he says. "You have to have finesse to work it in because it's strong."

Levin's got finesse. And cojones. Who else would do to the treasured 'shroom what he does with his menu's morel chicken salad? Along with foie gras, ramps and Madeira-onion purée, Levin — who makes no bones about his love of decidedly un-Lacroix fare ("easy macaroni and cheese is my fave," he'll tell you) — is serving the deli lunch fave "broken-down and deconstructed. ... I love good, cheap Italian restaurant-style chicken Marsala. This is my play on that."

(a_amorosi@citypaper.net)

Morels and Wine Dinner Wed., May 7, 6:30 p.m., $120, Lacroix at the Rittenhouse, 210 W. Rittenhouse Square, 215-790-2533, lacroixrestaurant.com