white king

The noble aroma of the porcini mushroom includes about 70 shades. A handsome man on a thick leg, sitting firmly in the ground, has always been held in high esteem by gourmets.

In autumn, in the mushroom forest, it is difficult not to notice its fleshy hat on a dense, squat stalk. Even the Roman scientist and encyclopedist Pliny the Elder praised him in his “Natural History”: “The porcini mushroom is the only food truly worthy of refined persons who eat it in advance in their imagination” *. The gourmets of South-Western Europe were the first to appreciate its merits, where it was called the “black prince”, and in France the boletus waited for recognition for quite a long time: only in the XNUMXth century, the chef of one of the famous Parisian restaurants decided to add porcini mushrooms to hot dishes .

Today it is the most popular of the spongy mushrooms and can be found in coniferous and mixed forests from June to October. White is incredibly fragrant, and in addition, contains a significant amount of protein – this is rarely found in fresh vegetables. The porcini mushroom can also be proud of its calorie count – only 28 per 100 g. To maintain this advantage, it is worth using a minimum amount of fat when cooking it. An excellent source of minerals – potassium, phosphorus, iron – the porcini mushroom supplies our body with substances that serve as a source of energy and are necessary for the healthy activity of cells. The vitamins found in white mushrooms, especially the B vitamins, give it its beneficial antioxidant properties.

In a truly fresh mushroom, the cap should fit snugly against the stalk, and the whole mushroom should be firm to the touch. To make sure there are no worms, put the mushrooms on a dish and cover with cling film on top – suffocating, uninvited guests will crawl out on their own. Now you can start cooking.

* Pliny the Elder, Natural History. Fragments” (Nauka, 2005).

Appetizer of celery root with porcini mushrooms

For 4 persons

Prepare: 20 minutes

Preparation: 3-4 minutes

  • 1 large head of root celery
  • 12 small white mushrooms (the size of a champagne cork)
  • 1 small bunch of chives
  • 2 Art. l. olive oil
  • 30 g salted butter
  • Fleur de sel sea salt
  • freshly ground pepper

Preparation

Cut the peeled head of celery into petals 1 mm thick. Spread over the bottom of a deep frying pan, adding 2 tbsp. l. water, olive oil and butter. Clean the mushrooms, cut into thin slices and add to the celery. Cover with a sheet of parchment and place over high heat for 3-4 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the dish cool down a bit. Place the celery petals on a warmed plate, shaping them into a cornucopia shape and placing the mushrooms inside. Lightly salt and pepper (one turn of the pepper grinder), garnish with chives. Pour the vegetable juice from the pan. Serve as an appetizer or as an accompaniment to fish and poultry.

Cabbage leaves with mushrooms and sorrel

For 4 persons

Prepare: 25 minutes

Preparation: 50 minutes

  • 1 green cabbage
  • 4 heads shallots
  • 12 small white mushrooms
  • 1 bunch of sorrel
  • 2 Art. l. olive oil
  • 60 g salted butter
  • Fleur de sel sea salt
  • freshly ground pepper

Preparation

Without removing the peel from the onions, cut them in half and put on low heat in a deep frying pan, adding 30 g of butter and a tablespoon of olive oil. After 40 minutes, set aside. Remove the outer leaves of the cabbage, separate the rest from the stalk. Cut the mushrooms in half. Put everything to stew in a deep frying pan for 7 minutes, adding a little water, a tablespoon of olive oil and 30 g of butter. The cabbage leaves should hold their shape. At the end of cooking, turn off the heat, add the sorrel and leave for another 7 minutes. Spread the cabbage on a warmed plate, put the mushrooms, sorrel and shallots in the center. Season lightly with salt and pepper (one turn of the pepper grinder). Drizzle with vegetable juice from cooking and serve.

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