Fresh Or Dried, Porcini Have

What’s the right name for this unique mushroom? The English name, “king bolete,” is rarely used by cooks. The Italian “porcini,” which means roly-poly little pigs, is playfully descriptive and rolls off the tongue in a way that suits the mushroom. You’ll also see this mushroom sold by its French name, “cèpe.” Fresh or Dried, Porcini Have Here’s how to or more than twenty years, I’ve been When porcini are fresh, they have a Fan ardent “pot hunter,” one who meaty quality that responds well to grill- get the best from picks wild mushrooms for the kitchen. Por- ing and sautéing. The autumn porcini cini—the large, meaty, nutty-flavored season is much-heralded in Europe. In this prized wild mushroom—is one of my favorite quarries. Italy, when large quantities of fresh por- When the season and conditions are just cini are brought to village markets the day mushroom right, I go into the woods with my basket, they’re picked, a local café might serve compass, and pocketknife, as full of anti- the whole fresh caps, grilled and sea- cipation as a kid before an Easter egg hunt. soned, almost like steaks. Or the fresh Finding porcini, no matter how long you porcini might be sliced, sautéed in olive BY JON ROWLEY have been at it, is an addictive thrill. oil, and dosed with shallot, garlic, and an herb such as marjoram, oregano, mint, or PORCINI HAVE TWO DISTINCT parsley. Sometimes a squeeze of lemon CULINARY SOULS: FRESH AND DRIED juice adds just the right touch. Fresh and dried porcini are different in- Italians, as well as Poles, Russians, and gredients with different qualities, and other Europeans, like to marinate the they’re used differently in cooking. Think prized young porcini buttons whole. In of the difference between tomatoes and Russia, a mock caviar is made from a sun-dried tomatoes, grapes and raisins, mince of the marinated mushrooms. plums and prunes. In northeastern Europe, where wild- Illustration: Dugald Stermer. Photos except where noted: Rita Maas 60 FINE COOKING Copyright © 1995 - 2007 The Taunton Press flat. Porcini are large mushrooms, often weighing one or two pounds each. Unfor- tunately, the largest are usually not the best because they’re often infested with insect larvae and beginning to deteriorate (see sidebar on p. 62). The flavor and texture of fresh porcini also depend on the age of the mushroom and how it was handled after harvest. These large mushrooms can be bruised by their bearing weight alone. You can’t always see the bruises, but they’ll give your mushrooms a slightly sour taste and a more slimy texture. Rough handling also speeds spoilage. In the field, I pick into a basket lined with spongy dry moss or soft pine boughs and try to keep the mushrooms a single layer deep. Fresh porcini, which cost $20 to $30 per pound, are best if eaten no later than the second day after being picked. Un- touched by insects and properly handled, young porcini will last nearly a week. With today’s overnight delivery services, ship- ping fresh porcini is possible. I’ve done it. It’s great when it works, but because of the insect problem and the mushroom’s per- ishability, it’s a dicey proposition at best. The pure flavor and aroma of porcini jump out of this simple sauté with shallots, parsley, and lemon. Give fresh porcini a gentle brush-off. Avoid washing fresh porcini unless ab- solutely necessary. They absorb water eas- ily, which can interfere with proper cooking or drying. Use a soft brush to remove a Potent Appeal pine needles and soil. There’s no need to mushroom foraging is practically a state re- porcini in butter or olive oil and season ligion, fresh porcini are sautéed or stewed with a little shallot and garlic. Then I do with sour cream and onions (dill is the wonderful things with it, such as pile it on herb of choice) or combined with potatoes toast (my daughter eats this as fast as I can in a skillet or in a casserole. Fresh porcini make it), fold it into mashed potatoes, stuff are also used in pastries, in soups, and as fillets of fish, and toss it with pasta. fillings; whole caps are stuffed and baked. Though I adore the flavor of fresh PICKING A FRESH PORCINI porcini, I did have a little problem with Whether you’re in the market or the for- their texture (I found the cooked caps est, look for firm, rounded caps with white slightly slimy) until I mentioned this tex- undersides. Fresh caps vary in color from tural quirk to Julia Child. She knew ex- ivory to tawny doeskin to biscuit brown to actly what I meant, and she suggested a cinnamon. As a rule (to which you will recipe that deals very effectively—and find many exceptions), the darker the cap, deliciously—with the problem, as it treats the more intense the flavor. Look for the the caps and stems separately (see p. 63). tubes under the cap to be white, tight, and Another technique I use to give me a firm, indicating young porcini. As the more pleasing texture is to grind the cap mushroom matures,the tubes become If you find porcini like these, cook them quickly. into a coarse mince(much like a classic yellowish and then olive green, and the The season is short, and the mushrooms are very French duxelles). I just sauté the minced shape of the cap changes from convex to perishable. OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 1995 61 Copyright © 1995 - 2007 The Taunton Press peel fresh porcini, but some people re- southeast Alaska—my first and best-ever shops or by mail-order. Expect to pay $4 to move the spongy tubes on the underside find: three enormous but perfect porcini, $5 for half-ounce packets. This translates of mature caps if they’re soft. Cut away any the largest of which was at least five to about $150 per pound, but the price gets spoiled or buggy sections of the mushroom. pounds. (I still dream about them.) much more reasonable when you buy in Unlike cultivated mushrooms, porcini and I brought my haul back onto my com- larger quantities. At around $50 a pound, other wild varieties need to be cooked be- mercial salmon boat, where I cut the por- you won’t hesitate to use them whenever fore eating. You can eat both the cap and cini in slices, and then threaded the pieces you want to add a deep, smoky note to a the stem. The two parts of the porcini are (with a sail needle) into garlands, which I dish. And a little dried porcini goes a long often dealt with separately, because each hung overhead wherever I could find way. One pound of dried starts with ten has its own texture: the stem is denser and room. In a matter of hours, my not-so- pounds of fresh. the cap reminds me of a firm pillow. The best-quality porcini should be free of any sign of what one dealer friend refers DRIED PORCINI WILL BECOME Porcini are the perfect to as “thread and lace,” the rough texture A STAPLE IN YOUR PANTRY and pinholes made by insects vacating the The season for fresh porcini is madden- seasoning for those who mushrooms during drying. The less perfect ingly short, but you can use dried porcini specimens should be priced accordingly. all year long in countless ways, and they’re cook vegetarian dishes For tips on choosing the best-quality dried a lot easier to find. Once you start cooking porcini, see the sidebar at right. with them, you’ll likely find dozens of uses, but miss meat’s rich taste. such as in sauces, stews, soups, pasta WITH DRIED PORCINI, dishes, risottos, and even in bread. They’re THE SOAKING LIQUID IS the perfect seasoning for those who cook large galley was redolent with that rich, THE MAIN INGREDIENT and eat more vegetarian dishes, but who nutty, woodsy, undeniably erotic aroma of As with any dried mushroom, dried por- miss the rich taste of meat. If stored in air- drying porcini. When the mushrooms cini need a thorough soaking before use. tight bags or jars, dried porcini aren’t per- were as dry as they would get (brittle For each half-ounce of dried porcini, I add ishable, so they’ll wait patiently in your enough to snap), I stowed them in zip-lock one cup of hot water. You should add or cupboard until you’re ready to use them. freezer bags. As I drew from my serendipi- subtract mushrooms from that ratio to Sometimes dried porcini develop more in- tous stash little by little during that fall and modify the intensity of the liquid to suit tense flavors after long storage. winter, I learned about the extraordinary your particular recipe. If you’re lucky enough to have a surplus character of the dried porcini. Soak the porcini for 30 minutes, and of fresh specimens, you can dry them your- You can buy dried porcini in most then take the mushrooms out and squeeze self. I first did this after a major find in grocery stores, and of course in specialty out all the liquid. Strain the liquid through a coffee filter to remove any soil or mulch that may have dried with the mushrooms. Check for bugs when buying fresh porcini This is your porcini liquor—a potent name for a potent ingredient.

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