Wild About Mushrooms

American shoppers are accustomed to getting any food they want at the supermarket any time of year. Raspberries in the dead of winter?  South America’s gotcha covered. White asparagus in October? Hothouse varieties to the rescue.

 

But somehow the mushroom plays by different rules. Sure, you can get cultivated white mushrooms, also known as button mushrooms, year round. Shiitake enoki, and cremini , too. But there are many types of  mushrooms that can only be found deep in the woods, and only during the autumn months.  Mushroom connoisseurs swear by the  more intense, interesting and rewarding flavor of wild mushrooms, and go crazy each fall when treasures like the chanterelle ( a trumpet-shaped, delicately flavored mushroom that has never been successfully cultivated) hit the produce stands.

 

Nadia Frigeri is one of those mushroom lovers. The accomplished cooking teacher and  European food tour guide, taught a “mushroom” class last week at San Diego’s Cooking with Class Cooking School.  My son, Ben, gave me the class as a birthday gift and went with me.

We arrived to find Nadia elbow deep in six or seven types of mushrooms. As she sorted, washed, chopped and sautéed, the animated cook shared valuable information and delicious recipes.  She also shared her passion. I probably haven’t cooked a mushroom in my kitchen in five years It’s just not an ingredient that I often have a hankering for. But this week, armed with my new “skills” and Nadia’s user-friendly recipes, I’m taking full advantage of the season.

 Valuable tidbits from Nadia Frigeri :

 *** With chanterelles, cut off only the tiniest bit of  dark, hard edge. Every other part of the mushroom is edible and easy to clean. Bugs don’t like chanterelles.

 *** Generally speaking it’s better to wash mushrooms quickly in a bowl of water than wipe them with a cloth or mushroom brush. Chanterelles can sit in the water for a few minutes; spongier types of mushrooms should be removed quickly before they absorb too much water.

 *** Portobello mushrooms and the smaller portobellini are best grilled or broiled whole.

 *** Do not use tough shiitake stems in cooking. They are good only for mushroom broth.

 *** Don’t store mushrooms in plastic bags. They will sweat and lose their water content.

 *** Fontina cheese is ideal for cooking because it melts evenly, unlike other cheeses that separate into a fat puddle and a chewy glob.

 *** Cut cooled polenta into squares or discs with dental floss, not a knife.

 *** Shiitake mushrooms come in two grades: Grade 1 is more delicate, more flavorful and substantially more expensive than Grade 2.

*** Use Blue Castello, a triple-crème blue cow’s milk cheese from Denmark,  if Gorgonzola is too costly or not available.

*** Add a large pinch of cayenne pepper when cooking polenta for a brighter flavor.

*** San Diegans are blessed with a top-notch source of wild and cultitvated mushrooms that cost a fraction of  mushrooms in area supermarkets. Specialty Produce is a wholesale operation that is also open to the public. The produce offerings are extraordinary, both in terms of quality and variety. Nadia estimates that mushrooms at Specialty Produce cost about one-third the same product at Whole Foods.

My son and I loved Nadia’s Filet Mignon with Gorgonzola Cheese and Mushroom Sauce, and her Baked Portobellini Mushrooms Stuffed with Gorgonzola, Herbs and Breadcrumbs that were served on polenta (pictured here). But it was this recipe – roasted slices of butternut squash topped with mixed mushrooms and fontina cheese – that we’ve decided to show off on our Thanksgiving table this year.

 

ZUCCA E FUNGHI GRATINATI

(Roasted Butternut with Mushrooms and Fontina Cheese)

Serves 8

 2-3 pounds butternut squash, peeled and cut into 3/4 –inch slices

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Extra virgin olive oil

 

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 to 1 ½ pounds mixed mushrooms, such as chanterelle, cremini, oyster and shiitake

2-3 garlic cloves, crushed and chopped or 1 tablespoon roasted garlic puree

¼ cup chopped Italian parsley leaves

½ cup chicken or vegetable broth, heated (optional)

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese or grated Swiss cheese

6-8 ounces Italian fontina or French raclette cheese, shredded

 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Place the butternut squash slices on a large piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet, season with salt and pepper and drizzle with the oil. Bake for about 20 minutes or until the slices are tender but still firm. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Arrange the squash slices on a buttered baking dish, season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with the grated Parmesan cheese.

Quickly wash the mushrooms in a bowl of cool water. Pat dry with paper towels.

In a medium skillet, heat the butter and remaining oil.  Add mushrooms, garlic and parsley. Stir until the mushrooms start to soften and the garlic starts to color. Season with salt and pepper. Add broth, if desired, and cook for 3 or 4 minutes.

Spoon the cooked mushroom mixture over the squash slices, top with shredded fontina cheese and bake for about 15 minutes, or until cheese starts to bubble.

 

 

Comments

[Lori @ RecipeGirl]

Ohhhh, you have me craving mushrooms now! The first thing I thought about when I started reading your post was Specialty Produce... they have such a wonderful selection there.