Bounty from the Fields, Woods, Hollers and Hills

We’ve been talking for the last couple of weeks about foods the land offers us like fresh greens.  How opportune that it’s open season on Dry Land Fish.  Okay, technically you can gather these wild mushrooms anytime of year, but the early spring  is the only time they pop out.  So the delicacy must at least be gathered at this time, if not enjoyed.

I kind of assumed that only mountain folk would even know about this delicacy – at least by that name – but surprisingly a Google search found a page full of results.  There are even songs entitled “Dry Land Fish” - The Kentucky Headhunters  assert “If a genie gave me a bottle , there’d be three things I’d wish Corn, greens and taters, and dry-land fish”.  John McCutcheon’s version even directs us to, “Midst the ash and elm and sycamore, Cast your sights to the forest floor, Where the old trees die and the roots are rotten, That’s where the dry land fish are gotten.”

The song says you can find the fish from March to May but I’ve never seen them after April. 

About a year ago I happened to meet Mr. Ralph Story of Spring City, Tennessee.  He is an avid mycophagist and shared the pictures I’m including today.  I’ll confess I had to look up that name – and I might not call many of my plateau neighbors by it because it might just get me in trouble.  Still, I admire those that can find this wild food in abundance and as you can see from the pictures, Mr. Story certainly can.

So are you wondering just what it is?  Dry Land Fish are formally known as Morel Mushrooms.  They are a famous delicacy that can sell in 2020 for about $80 per pound, if you can find them.  Did I mention they are rare, hard to find, grow in inaccessible places and defy cultivation?  The steep price begins to make sense, doesn’t it?

I would like to know why we call them fish – and can only imagine the name comes from either (or both) their texture and our method of cooking.

Like many of the more substantial mushrooms, Dry Land Fish have a firm and almost-creamy texture.  And we cooke ‘em just like fish.

Rolled in cornmeal, fried in a deep skillet of hot oil – they look like typical Southern food, in fact, they look like a mess of fish on the plate.  And they are a rich, filling food that certainly replaces meat in a meal.  You’ve gotta’ cook them good and done so that makes for a crunchy bite.  Seasoned only with salt and pepper, you can truly appreciate this gift from God.

Now this is probably not a food that will sustain you for long, if only because of its scarcity.  But if you can get it you’ll surely enjoy the experience.