I consulted my trusty Mushrooms Demystified handbook, sent photos to my mycological society friend Beth, and was assured that these indeed were morels, which are not only safe to eat, but are considered a delicacy. Tonight, we finally got around to eating those morels picked last spring, in this exquisite cream of wild mushroom soup. Special garnish idea: high quality green extra virgin olive oil is really quite something drizzled over this soup, along with some crusty bread for dipping. You can swap out the sherry for Madeira if you’d like. Leave out all together if you are avoiding cooking with alcohol. After 30 minutes strain the mushrooms through the filter, reserving at least one cup of the mushroom liquid. Roughly chop the reconstituted wild mushrooms. Add the fresh mushrooms, increase the heat to medium high, and cook several minutes more. Add chopped wild mushrooms. Lower the heat, cover and let cook for 10 minutes. Add the herbes de provence, the dried thyme, bay leaves, and salt. Garnish with chopped chives and parsley when serving.
