Saturated with the smells of damp earth and clean water, moss, herbs and rotten leaves, forest mushrooms embodied the primordial energy of wildlife.
Mushrooms are mysterious creatures: not animals, but not plants either, they are able to braid vast territories with their mycelium – rhizome, but even an experienced mushroom picker cannot predict where and when they will germinate to the surface. The ancient Greeks called mushrooms “the food of the gods”, attributing to them the ability to prolong life and preserve youth. The Iranians revered them as sacred, claiming that mushrooms appear from a lightning strike (by the way, in some areas of our country, aspen mushrooms are still called “thunderers”). The Aztecs, fascinated by the hallucinogenic properties of certain types of mushrooms, made them the object of an esoteric cult … In a word, it was the mysterious, unpredictable, ancient mushrooms that most fully embodied the primordial energy of the forest element.
Meanwhile, today, pronouncing the word “mushrooms”, we most often mean “domesticated” champignons, which have recently filled supermarket shelves. They are affordable, easy to prepare, and for many city dwellers, they are perhaps the only way to get acquainted with the mushroom taste. Having made a little effort – going to the forest and picking mushrooms or mushrooms, white or boletus there, you can appreciate the enormous difference between mushrooms grown on special farms and those that grew under the canopy of branches, absorbing the aromas of moss, herbs and wet earth.
In the Russian culinary tradition, mushrooms were most often salted or dried. The most common salting method was the so-called dry salting – this method used to preserve mushrooms (primarily mushrooms) right in the forest: without washing, they gently wiped the contaminated places with a dry rag, and then tightly laid them head down in a wooden barrel, sprinkling each layer with coarse salt. An oppression was set on a barrel filled to the brim, under the weight of which the mushrooms gave juice. After the mushrooms had somewhat decreased in volume, a new portion was placed in the vacant place, and so on until the barrel was filled to the top. This old recipe is easy to repeat in urban conditions – in an enameled pot or stainless steel bucket. A bucket of mushrooms needs one and a half glasses of salt, and to make the taste of mushrooms richer, it is good to add coarsely chopped bay leaves, dill stems and a few peas of black and allspice. You can also preserve milk mushrooms (before salting, soak under oppression for three days, changing the water daily) or mushrooms (boil for three to five minutes).
The true pearl of European cuisine is the truffle – not only the most expensive, but also the rarest mushroom in the world. The most valuable truffles – black winter – grow in the south of France, in Perigord. The price of a large copy reaches several thousand euros. They are eaten raw or boiled, cut into thin slices and added to the plate literally at the last moment – so as not to lose a drop of precious taste. Truffles from Tuscany, Piedmont and Umbria are somewhat cheaper. It is not easy to buy a truffle in our country, it is cheaper to use truffle oil – high-quality olive oil infused with natural truffles. By adding a couple of spoons to the sauce, scrambled eggs or stewed mushrooms (oyster mushrooms or shiitake), you can fully enjoy the aroma of this king of mushrooms.
Speaking of shiitake, this mushroom is extremely useful: in Chinese medicine, it is credited with the ability to activate qi energy, and modern studies have confirmed its effectiveness in the fight against hepatitis B, oncological and vascular diseases. In Russia, the easiest way to buy dried shiitake – after soaking in water, they can be added to soups and sauces, omelettes and hot dishes. Shiitake caps (the legs are only good for making mushroom broth) are just as easy to prepare as mushrooms, but the taste is closer to white or mushrooms.
But no matter how good mushroom strangers are, nothing compares to a noble mushroom, plucked on a cool autumn morning in the nearest copse – with a yellowed leaf stuck to a wet hat, with a strong stem and a wonderful aroma. Fried, boiled or stewed, it will fill your home with the peace and energy of an ancient, mysterious and invariably generous forest.
Risotto with porcini mushrooms
On 4 persons.
- 250 g arborio rice
- 1 medium onion
- 60 g butter
- 2 Art. l. olive oil
- 200 g white mushrooms
- 250 g mushrooms
- 150 ml of dried sherry
- 3 art. l. grated parmesan, plus a little more for garnish
Cut porcini mushrooms into cubes with a side of 1 cm and cook in 2 cups of water for 15 minutes. Drain the broth separately and mix with sherry, and slightly squeeze the mushrooms. Chop the onion and fry in a mixture of olive and butter, add chopped mushrooms and white mushrooms to it, simmer under the lid for 20 minutes. Pour rice into a pan with mushrooms and onions, mix thoroughly, increase the heat slightly and wait 2-3 minutes: the rice should acquire a creamy hue. Pour in a mixture of mushroom broth and sherry, bring to a boil. Transfer everything to a glass form and place in an oven preheated to 180 ° C for 20 minutes. Remove, stir in the Parmesan, season with salt and return to the oven for another 15 minutes. Garnish with a thin shaving of parmesan before serving.