The King of MushroomssteemCreated with Sketch.

in food •  7 years ago 

No! not me! I am holding the king of mushrooms. Today was an epic day of foraging for me. After a month of searching the mountains, I finally discovered (with the help of a mentor!) a patch of porcini mushrooms. Porcini mushrooms are considered the king of mushrooms because they have an incredibly deep and earthy flavor and very firm texture.

Here is a porcini emerging from the pine duff.

You can find porcini mushrooms near conifers.

Or they are in open grassy areas, near conifers.

This porcini is the perfect size for cooking and eating fresh. The larger porcini mushrooms are better for dehydrating.

And this perfect porcini will be my dinner tonight!

Porcini mushrooms can be cooked and served, in a pasta dish, in soup, on a tartine, as a sauce, tossed into a salad or countless other ways. But, for me, after spending the entire day driving, hiking, crossing streams, bushwhacking and crawling on the ground, I just wanted them served in the most simple way. So, to celebrate the exquisite taste of porcini mushrooms, I sautéed them in butter with garlic and thyme. When they were cooked I add a few drops of lemon juice. That is it. In the coming days I will prepare them into different dishes. But for tonight this is perfection.

If you would like to forage for wild mushrooms I would recommend that you join your local mycological society and join them for a foray. For people in North America, I would recommend reading the National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Mushrooms. For everyone reading I would NOT recommend that you just go out and eat wild mushrooms without knowing what you are doing. I have been studying wild mushrooms and foraging for two years. I am just starting to feel comfortable Identifying a few mushrooms. Today on this mushroom hunt, I had a professional forager with 30 years experience with me. By listening and asking a ton of questions I was able to learn so much about finding and collecting porcini mushrooms.

Thanks for stopping by today. If you have any questions about cooking porcini or foraging please ask.
Steve

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Hebat untuk menarik sesuatu bisa menjadi nikmat sampai tahunan kerenGreat to draw something can be delicious until yearly cool

Thank you for the comment @zainalabidin

@chefsteve Thank you for this brother! So cool that you forage. How are they eaten raw? Keep spreading the natural and healthy vibes :)

@captainpearson They have a mild taste when eaten raw. I think wild foods are the best foods! thanks for the question.

That looks amazing! Too bad my husband doesn't like mushrooms so I don't cook with them very often. Steem on ;)

@amy-goodrich Thank you! As a student of foraging and a lover of wild mushrooms, It was so amazing. We had been looking in several locations for a few hours and finally in the last location there were porcini everywhere! I always encourage people who say they do not like to eat certain foods to test that assumption from time to time. Mushroom are such a healthful food to eat. Loaded with Vitamin D, a vitamin that so many people are deficient in. Thanks for the kind comment!

You are welcome! Looking forward to more of your foraging tips. As for the hubby and mushrooms... I tried, believe me. We have been together for more than 16 years. It is not that he doesn't like the taste, it is all about the texture for him.

The porcini looks amazing. I have only encountered the dried version.

The dried ones are delicious too! And you don't have to hike up a mountain to get them! Thanks for the comment.

I did not like mushroom most of my childhood well into adulthood and I'll spare you the story why. But now... I've come around and love them. One of my favorite, go-to "fast foods" is throwing a tray in the oven to roast with some bacon, brussles sprouts and sliced portabellas. And now I'm hungry....

That is a "fast food" that I would like to eat!

This one subject I wish I new more about, I do a lot of wild camping and come across so many mushrooms, but I don't dare to touch them, as I know so little about them. great article.

Thanks! If you want to learn about edible mushrooms, Start by learning everything there is to know about just one type of mushroom. Otherwise it can get overwhelming. Also, join a local Mycology group. Good Luck!