If you’re looking for an easy but impressive appetizer to cook for your next holiday gathering, look no further than Elk Ribeye Toasts with Whisky-Morel Mushroom Sauce. This recipe is simple to follow, making it the perfect option for a busy host. Plus, who can resist a tender piece of elk meat? With its rich flavor and slightly sweet taste, elk is perfect for impressing your guests! So pull out your grill or smoker and get cooking!

Elk ribeye is the perfect meat for this toast appetizer. This cut of elk is lean but tender enough to chew in a couple of small bites. Remember not to overcook. Game is best served rare.

Steps to Make Elk Ribeye Toasts with Whisky-Morel Mushroom Sauce

Soak dried morels in whisky for about an hour.
While mushrooms rehydrate, season your elk with salt and pepper and start your campfire or grill.
Cut re-hydrated morels into bite-size pieces.
Sear elk on grate over campfire or grill for 5-7 minutes per side. Let steak rest.
In a saucepan, heat butter and saute shallots until soft.
Add mushrooms and cook for 3-5 minutes.
Pour in the cream, add thyme, season and cook until smooth
Brush both sides of the baguette slices with olive oil and toast.
Slice steak.
Assemble toast with a slice of elk, whisky-morel sauce, and garnish with microgreens and pomegranate seeds.

While elk adds body to these “fancy toasts,” the star of the show is the whisky morel sauce.

For foodies, morel mushrooms are the diamonds of the mushroom world. Exquisite but not too challenging to find if you know where to look. Unfortunately, they have a short foraging season. In Oregon, the prime season is only from March to May.

Note: If you are new to foraging for morels, read my guide in the resources section for more information on how to get started.

So if the foraging season is only for a few months in early spring, how can you enjoy morels in the winter? Easy! Simply clean and dry them when fresh and rehydrate them when ready to use. When done properly, this will preserve the flavor and texture as if they were freshly harvested,

How to Preserve Morel Mushrooms for Elk Ribeye Toasts with Whisky-Morel Mushroom Sauce

Clean your ‘Shrooms. Mushrooms that you buy in the store or even other foraged mushrooms just need a quick brush to clean. Not so for morels that you are getting ready to dry! Soak your mushrooms and they dry with a paper towel. This will help to remove any dirt and toxins from the spongy exterior.
Pick your drying method. There are three main options for drying morels: line drying, oven drying, and using a food dehydrator.

Line Drying: Run a string through the mushrooms. Hang in a warm and dry place for 3 to 7 days.

Oven Drying: Heat oven to 125 degrees Fahrenheit. Lay morels on a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for 8-12 hours, rotating every hour.

Food Dehydrator: Set the dehydrator to 125 degrees Fahrenheit. Place mushrooms on trays for 5 to 8 hours.

Pick the one that works best for the tools you have on hand!
Store effectively. This step is critical. You want to store your morels in a moisture-free environment.

I have a vacuum sealer (a valuable tool for making dishes like Backcountry Bison Short Ribs and Herbed Fingerling Potatoes, and Juicy Elk Burgers with Bacon at camp), but sealed glass mason jars also do the trick. Once packed, remember to store them in a dry location.

When you are ready to use the morels, simply soak them in a liquid of your choice for about an hour. For this recipe, I used a local whisky for added flavor. For a non-boozy option, you also can you use water or beef stock.

So if you’re looking for a unique and sophisticated appetizer, look no further than Elk Ribeye Toasts with Whisky-Morel Mushroom Sauce. Using dehydrated morels makes this a great option for your winter feast. We hope you’ll give it a try! Please leave a rating below if you do.

4.50 from 2 votes