Recipes for misc' wild mushrooms

Jump on this page to recipes for:

• 2 Blewit
• 0 Caesar's Mushroom
• 0 Cauliflower Fungus
• 0 Hedgehog Fungus
• 1 Puffballs
• 0 St George's Mushroom
• 0 The Miller

Blewit Recipes

Species

• Strong-scented Blewit Lepista irina
• Wood Blewit Lepista nuda
• Blue Legs Lepista personata
• Field Blewit Lepista saeva

I've ended up using blewits as a 'filler' mixed with other species, however, Antonio Carluccio^[3], rates them well so I hope to test some of his recipes this season.

Cooks Tips

• Boiling Blewits will impart a gelatenous texture to the dish.

	4 	Mushrooms, large open 
	60ml	(3 tbsp) Olive Oil
	20ml	(1 tbsp) Breadcrumbs, dry 
Stuffing:
	1	Egg
	1 	Tomato, small ripe -skinned and chopped
	25g 	Bread, fresh - roughly broken up
	80ml	(4 tbsp) Parmesan cheese - freshly grated 
	1 	Garlic, clove - chopped
	20ml	(1 tbsp) Parsley - finely chopped 
		Salt and Black Pepper

		Blewit Mushrooms
		Butter
		Milk
		Flour
		Salt and Black Pepper
		Mashed Potatoes

Caesar's mushroom Recipes

• Caesar's mushroom Amanita caesarea

Foragers Tips

• Beware: rain can wash the spots off and fade the poisonous Amanita muscaria which then looks VERY similar to this species.

Cauliflower Fungus Recipes

• Cauliflower Fungus Sparassis crispa

Foragers Tips

• Associated with dead wood.
• Typically a few kilos, though specimens of 14kg have been recorded.

Cooks Tips

• Pleasant flavour and large size make this a popular species.
• The main draw back is that the lobes can fill with pine needles and leaves and need to be cleaned carefully.

Hedgehog Fungus Recipes

Species

• Common Hedgehog Fungus Hydnum repandum
• Smaller Hedgehog Fungus Hydnum rufesens

Foragers Tips

• Often grow in fairy rings
• Appear in the same place year after year

Cooks Tips

• Younger specimens are best
• Older specimens (usually darker) can be bitter so thorough cooking is recommended
• Though edible, cooks often remove the 'spines' on older specimens, as they detach and can spoil the appearance of the dish
• remains firm in stews, risottos and with pasta
• Sliced and added to the batter of savory pancakes

Preserving

• Can be pickled in oil or vinegar, or dried though freezing is best.

See also

• Goat's Cheese Kasha with Cépes and Walnuts

Puffball Recipes

Species

• Giant Puffball Calvatia giantea or Lycoperdon giganteum or Langermannia gigantea Becomes chewy and yellow with age.
• Common Puffball Lycoperdon perlantum Edible only when young
• Lycoperdon pyriforme Edible only when young
• Lycoperdon echinatum Edible only when young
• Calvatia excipuliformis Edible only when young
• Calvatia utriformis Edible only when young
• Vascellum pratense Edible only when young

(not true puffballs but close enough)

• Bovista nigrescens Edible only when young
• Bovista plumbea Edible only when young

Foragers Tips

• These mushrooms can be found from the summer onwards, and is often an early hint to keep your eyes open as the main mushroom season is is on its way.

Cooks Tips

• The giant puffball is an easy mushroom to prepare for cooking as it is little affected by maggots, and its smooth shape means that it often need only be wiped with a damp cloth.
• The flavour is light and indistinctive and I've not been able to do much with these other than in mixtures with other mushrooms.
• Lycoperdon species are well suited for flavouring soups and stews.
• The giant puffball lends itself to being cut into steaks, dipped in beaten egg covered in breadcrumbs and fried, especially in the pan juices after frying bacon.
• Try also grilling one side of a thick slice, then turning it over and grilling the other, adding cheese slices and seasoning.
• Dice and add to stir-fry

	225g	Giant Puff Ball - thinly sliced
	80ml	(4 tbsp) butter
	60ml	chopped fresh chives
	60ml 	chopped fresh parsley
	60ml 	heavy cream
	6 	eggs - lightly beaten
		Salt and Black Pepper

St George's Mushroom Recipes

• St George's Mushroom Tricholoma gambosun (Calocybe gambosun)

Foragers Tips

• Beware not to confuse with spring fruiting Entoloma
• Other Calocybe are smaller and Autumn fruiting.

The Miller Recipes

• The Miller Clitopilus prunulus

Foragers Tips

• Beware not to confuse with poisonous Clitocybe or Entoloma

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I can be e-mailed at: <web@gigaflop.demon.co.uk>