This spring mushroom gratin is made with the controversial Gyromitra caroliniana, one of the false morels. Paired with garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) and cream sauce, this is a decadent dish that makes a great side to any meal.

⚠️ Do not serve this dish to others that are not comfortable with eating this mushroom.

🍽 Jump to the recipe ↓

Gyromitra caroliniana

Gyromitra caroliniana has many lookalikes, including G. esculenta, and you should make sure you are 100% positive of its ID.

When I first found Gyromitra caroliniana, I was immediately smitten by it. It is one of first spring mushrooms to appear after snowmelt, signaling the start of morel season. It is a sad sight for many morel mushroom hunters, because it’s one of the false morels, but I was intrigued by its stunning shape. They have deeply wrinkled caps that look like a brain or a treetop and when sliced open, you can see the chambered interior that resembles a cauliflower or tree branches. The massive white stipe has a wide base that is reminiscent of giant trees.

Taste & Edibility

The mushroom is part the Gyromitra genus, which includes the highly toxic G. esculenta, making the rest of the species in the same genus tainted and thus controversial in terms of edibility. However, I have heard of Gyromitra mushrooms being consumed by some people, especially in Europe. So I did some digging and it turns out that Gyromitras are conditionally edible, provided you prepare them correctly. This recipe includes those instructions. I recommend you read the Edibility and Taste section in my Gyromitra caroliniana mushroom profile to learn more. Eat at your own risk.

They taste pretty good and have a tough texture that holds well after boiling and long cooking, which is a requirement for this mushroom.

Alliaria petiolata

Garlic mustard is an invasive plant in Pennsylvania, reducing natural biodiversity, so you don’t have to feel bad about harvesting it.

Commonly known as garlic mustard, all parts of this herbaceous biennial plant, including the roots, give off a strong garlic odor. It was introduced to North America by European settlers in the 1800s for culinary and medicinal purposes and has since become a highly invasive species that can cover forest floors, reducing biodiversity. It is very abundant in Pennsylvania, starting to come up around the end of March, so when I am out and about, I always take some with me to use in some recipes.

Gyromitra Gratin with Garlic Mustard

This spring mushroom gratin is made with the controversial Gyromitra caroliniana, one of the false morels. Paired with garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) and cream sauce, this is a decadent dish that makes a great side to any meal.

⚠️ Do not serve this dish to others that are not comfortable with eating this mushroom.

Gratin is a classic in French cooking, usually prepared with vegetables, but mushrooms work great well, especially if they have a tougher texture like Gyromitra caroliniana. For a dish to be a gratin, it must be a baked dish with a light covering of cheese and breadcrumbs.

Big thanks goes to Forager Chef Alan Bergo and his post On Cooking False Morels / Gyromitra without which I would have never dared to eat Gyromitras in the U.S. and create this recipe.

Disclaimer

Please be extremely careful cooking and eating foraged mushrooms. Never eat a mushroom that you are not 100% sure of its ID. The best way to learn how to identify and forage for edible mushrooms in your area is to join a local mushroom club or go with a trusted mushroom identifier or a mycologist. Then, even if you are 100% sure of its ID and know it's an edible mushroom, always try small quantities of a new mushroom first before eating a large batch to make sure it sits with you well. 

• Prep Time: 25 minutes
• Cook Time: 50 minutes
• Serving Size: 2

Ingredients

For the crust

• ¼ cup bread crumbs
• ¼ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated
• 1 tbsp wild chives (chopped)

For the mushrooms

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter (divided)
• ¼ cup shallots (diced)
• 1.5 lbs (700 g) Gyromitra caroliniana mushrooms (cleaned, roughly chopped to equal pieces, and parboiled^*)
• ½ tbsp fresh minced garlic
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) (roughly chopped)
• salt and pepper to taste

* _{It’s very important to parboil the mushrooms. See Taste & Edibility above.}

Preparation

Parboil Mushrooms

⚠️ It is very important you do not skip this step, because G. caroliniana may contain toxins that degrade with heating. So you should parboil them first.

1. Clean the Gyromitra caroliniana mushrooms. Cut off the stipe until there’s no dirt embedded in the flesh and scrape any dirt off the surface. Cut in half or quarters if the cap is about the size of a smaller adult fist. Wash under running water, inspecting for any bugs, debris, and dirt embedded in the folds or chambers.

2. Place G. caroliniana mushrooms into a pot of salted water and bring to a boil. Cook for at least 15 minutes. Remove the mushrooms. Discard the water. Rinse mushrooms well in cold water and dry off as much water as possible.

Make the Gratin

1. Preheat the oven to 425°.

2. Place breadcrumbs, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, wild chives, and salt and pepper to taste into a food processor and pulse a few times to mix. Set aside.

3. Heat a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil and 1 tbsp of the butter. When the oil and butter are heated, add the shallots and sauté for 1 minute, until translucent.

4. Stir in the mushrooms and garlic. Cook for 3 minutes without stirring, until the mushrooms are browned. Stir, and cook for another 3 minutes.

5. Stir in the cream and cook until reduced by half, about 3-5 minutes.

6. Stir in the remaining butter and garlic mustard. Season with salt and pepper.

7. Divide the mushroom mixture into 2 ramekins or mini loaf pans and sprinkle with the crust.

8. Bake until the crust is golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve immediately.

Let me know what you think in the comments! I'd love to hear from you. Head to my Instagram account @fungiwoman for daily posts about my mushroom adventures. Also, check out my shop for some mushroom-inspired products and sign up for the newsletter to get updates. 

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