Posts Tagged ‘Mushrooms’

Rose Prince has been writing recently in the Telegraph about the wild mushroom season. Last year was amazing – beautiful cepes were in abundance and we had some of the best wild mushrooms we have ever tried. This year, cepes are hard to come by, especially the really good ones. But why has this year been less than brilliant, and how can we still enjoy the best mushrooms available this season? Read the whole article here or a snippet below:

“It has not been a vintage year for wild fungi. Hunter gatherers say that the wet and cold weather in the early autumn produced some of the poorest quality ceps in years.
The problem has been greater in the traditionally rich Eastern European fungi hunting grounds, whereas here in Britain we’ve had a rather short season of great penny buns (the English term for cep).”

“Chanterelles have been OK, but this year’s girolles are too small,” says Vittorio Maschio of European speciality importers Natoora, who bring fresh fungi from the Paris and Milan markets every week.

“This leaves us in the peculiar situation of enjoying the fungi season when the supply is sporadic. Enjoying it because this is the time when our noses twitch for food that is scented with the “forest floor”; for game birds and venison, rowan berries and mushrooms.”

“The desire for this food is there. It is a matter of filling the gap. This can be done with ease with cultivated mushrooms. Not just the familiar, and sometimes a little dull, buttons and chestnut types, but by some interesting exotics.”

“Natoora has access to champignons de Paris, a tall button type of mushroom held dear to the city for the role it played during the Second World War. Because it grows on sand, Parisians grew this vital source of food on their balconies and terraces in hard times, and still do for the good, non-insipid flavour and texture of these mushrooms.”

“Pre-order and they can be delivered direct. Champignons de Paris are approximately £6.50 per kg; wild chanterelles £7.50 per 150g punnet; pied bleu (a delicious mushroom with a firm stalk) £3.90 per 100g.”

Read the rest of the article here

Shop for mushrooms

Make the most of them – view all our delicious mushroom recipes here

Buy any of these mushrooms and get a free pack of handmade fresh pappardelle!

1. Place an order that includes any of the mushrooms listed below

2. Enter code MUSHROOM at checkout

3. Receive your free pack of pasta!

*Offer subject to availability. No cash alternative. We reserve the right to refuse or restrict orders. Offer may be withdrawn at any time and without notice.

Girolles: They have a faint fragrant fruity smell reminiscent of apricots or peaches, and a mildly peppery taste.  from £6.75/150g
Chanterelles: Their flavour is simply beautiful – delicate, lightly fruity and fragrant.  from £6/150g
Pied Bleu: Pied Bleu are not only beautifully coloured with their blue stem, but also extremely fragrant. They have a distinctive flavour suitable for both sweet and savoury dishes. from £6.75/100g
Trompette de la Mort: ”At the moment the trompette de la mort are really superb. You just compare them!” says our Natoora buyer.from £4.95/150g

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READ ALL OUR MUSHROOM RECIPES

During my youth I was never really a fan of mushrooms. I remember going mushroom picking with my father on the Dolomites, it was such a hard job but I always loved the smell of the woods in the early mornings. But when at dinner time a reward was given to every other member of my family in the shape of hand made tagliatelle with the “picking” of the day, I was feeling rather unsatisfied.

It was only about a year ago, at the end of the summer, when I walked into one of the coldrooms in the Natoora warehouse and that beautiful smell of wild mushroom took my memory back so many years and tempted me so much that I could no longer resist. I got a generous portion for two and the same evening I cooked them for me and my wife.

It’s a shame it took me nearly 40 years but hey, I am now eating so many of them! This must be one of my favourite dishes for the autumn, especially if accompanied by a good bottle of red vino!

Tagliatelle with Wild Mushrooms

Serves 4

4 tbsp olive oil
1 chopped garlic clove
450g mixed wild mushrooms
Thyme
500g fresh tagliatelle
30g Parmesan
Black Truffle (optional)

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil (at least 5 litres).

Meanwhile warm a large pan with 4 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the garlic and cook for a minute. Then add the cleaned mixed mushrooms, a pinch of salt and a couple of branches of thyme off the stem, bring the pan to high heat and cook for about 3 minutes.

Now pour the fresh tagliatelle  into the boiling water and cook for no more than 2 minutes, drain the pasta and quickly add it to mushrooms pan, stir together for 30 seconds, add about gr 30 of parmesan cheese and dish out.

If using black truffle, with the help of a parmesan grater grate the black truffle on top of the dish and serve.

You can buy a recipe kit of these ingredients, including a recipe card here

150g chanterelle mushrooms
3 veal escalopes
1 bunch fresh chives
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tsp minced garlic
1/4 cup white vermouth or brandy
200ml double cream
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp flour
6 slices fontina cheese
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Heat a pan over medium-high heat, add the unsalted butter and garlic and cook until fragrant but not brown; add the mushrooms and saute until golden brown. Turn the heat to high and add the vermouth; add the cream and cook until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Keep warm.

Cut the veal escalopes in half and season generously with salt and pepper; season the flour in same way. Lay a thin slice of fontina on the veal and 2-3 chives.  Roll the escalopes around the chives and dredge lightly in the seasoned flour. In a large pan over medium-high heat, melt the butter and olive oil.

Place 3 rolls in the pan, joined side down, and cook for 30 seconds. Turn the rolls over and sear the other side for 30 seconds. Transfer to a baking dish and continue searing the rest of the rolls. Bake for about 10 minutes until the cheese is melted.

Serve with the chanterelle sauce.

Make the most of British game season

British game hunting season lasts for only a few months so we need to make the most of these beautiful game birds while we have the chance…

Grouse: Considered the king of game and for good reason! Hunting season begins on The Glorious Twelfth (of August) and lasts until the 10th December. They are unique in flavour and Moen and Sons use their extensive expertise to only source young grouse which are far superior! Their deep red flesh has a lovely, gutsy, gamey flavour. Buy now

Pheasant: You can enjoy this game bird from October to February when the season is open. It has a more delicate, subtle gamey flavour with pale and lean flesh. Buy now

Partridge: From September to February these small game birds with a pale flesh and gently gamey flavour can be enjoyed. We love them with woody herbs and garlic. Buy now

Click here to shop for game today

Roasted Grouse with Wild Mushrooms

Serves 2
2 Grouse
salt and pepper
100g butter
oil for frying
flour for dusting
250g mixed wild mushrooms
1tbsp parsley, finely chopped
1.25ltr water
250g polenta
70g fontina
70g gorgonzola

Use 1.25ltr of water for 250g polenta flour. Boil the water and add some salt. Then begin pouring the flour into the water, while whisking to avoid lumps. Once the mixture starts to bubble, swap the whisk for a wooden spoon and keep stirring.

Cook for 50-60 minutes stirring very often, trying to make a circular motion scraping the sides and bottom of the pot.

While the polenta is cooking, start preparing the grouse. Read our advice on how to prepare it for the oven here.

Preheat the oven to gas mark 8 (240C). 20 minutes before the polenta is ready, rub the grouse with 100g softened butter and season with salt and pepper. Place in a tray and roast for around 12 to 15 minutes. Make sure they are still nice and pink, then remove from the oven and leave to rest.

Heat a frying pan with the rest of the butter and sautee the mixed mushrooms gently for a few minutes. Season with salt and pepper, gently turning wtih a spoon. Add the parsley and remove from the heat.

The polenta will be ready when a crust forms on the edges of the pot and when shaking the pot, the polenta detatches by itself from the crust. At this point you can add the cheese in small pieces.

Turn the pot upside down quickly on a wooden dish for best presentation.

Remove the legs from the grouse with a sharp knife, then the breasts and slice. Place the mushrooms and grouse on the plate and serve with the hot polenta.
Happy eating!

Cèpes can only be described as the kings of mushrooms. Meaty, bold and full of the flavours of the earth, they are a real Autumnal treat. The only problem is, that with earthy flavours tends to come some real earth, so it’s best to give them a bit of a clean before scoffing them. The best way to do this is really to avoid the obvious and keep water well away. First gently brush off any excess dirt and trim the very end of the stalk. If the stalk is very dirty, peel away the top layer of skin. Now they are ready to enjoy! Try them today!

Autumn is a fantastic time for mushrooms. Get the most out of them with this delicious stew.

Ingredients

• 150gr Shallots – finely chopped
• 100gr Cepes/Porcini mushrooms
• 100gr Chanterelle mushrooms
• 100gr Pied Bleu mushrooms
• 3 Garlic cloves – roughly chopped
• 30gr Flat parsley – roughly chopped
• 30cl White wine
• 50cl Chicken stock (Stock cube works great)
• 1 Veal roast
• Extra virgin olive oil
• unsalted butter
• salt and pepper

Method

Clean the mushrooms and roughly slice them, if they are on the small side cutting them in half will do. In a large casserole heat on medium flame about 3 tablespoons of olive oil and the same quantity of butter, when the butter stops foaming raise the heat and add the veal roast. Cook on all sides until it colours, then remove and set aside.

Lower the heat back to medium and add the shallots which you cook for a few minutes stirring every so often, and then add the garlic which you will cook for a further few minutes stirring to ensure it does not colour. Once the shallot is translucent you can add the mushrooms, some freshly ground black pepper and cook until they just begin to colour on the edges, this will take a while of gentle cooking. During all this time the heat should be moderate – too high will risk burning the garlic or shallots.

Add back the veal roast and any juices which have collected and raise the heat again to high before adding the white wine. Cook for a few minutes to enable some alcohol to evaporate and follow with the chicken stock, reduce the heat to low and cook, covered, for about 2 to 2 ½ hours until the meat is very tender. At this stage you can cook it uncovered at medium heat to reduce the sauce and thicken it slightly. Serve with vegetables such as potatoes, spinach, chard, pumpkin…

Now that Autumn has arrived we can enjoy some weird and wonderful mushrooms once more. Beautifully mysterious and full of earthy flavours, they will add a bit of magic to your cooking.

Fresh this week are the pleurottes. Delicate and subtle they have a faint flavour of oysters. Also try the French chanterelles, with a beautiful golden colour and a truly exquisite taste.

Probably the most delightfully rich are the cépes, also known as porcini or penny bun. These are champagne cork shaped and equally as extravagant. Whilst the dried alternatives are supremely packed with flavour, they will never match the meaty richness of these fresh ones. Try them with persillade as per the recipe below. Delicious!

Cépes en Persillade

250g Fresh cépes
100g Fresh Breadcrumbs
1 Bunch of Flat Leaf Parsley
3 Cloves of Garlic
Salt and Pepper
Juice and Rind of 1 Lemon
Olive Oil

First make the persillade. Persillade simply means a sauce made with parsley, garlic, oil and seasoning. To make this variant, put the breadcrumbs in a food processor with the parsley leaves, pressed and chopped garlic, salt and pepper and thinly sliced lemon rind. Blend well until the crumbs have turned a vibrant green colour, but be careful not to overwork. Tip the mixture onto a tray.

Now pre-heat your grill to medium while we prepare the cépes. Slice and quickly fry them in 1-2 tbsp olive oil with a little seasoning. Continue until they have turned a pale golden colour, then add the juice of one lemon. Transfer to a shallow oven dish, spreading out evenly. Sprinkle with the persillade and dribble over 3-4 tbsp olive oil.

Place under the grill, but keep some distance so that the breadcrumbs brown gently. This way they will soak up the cepes juices as they crust. Serve immediately.

It’s finally time to enjoy the rich delights of Autumn. Whilst some may be mourning the end of Summer, at Natoora we’re celebrating the beginning of Autumn with some amazing September flavours. With luscious Muscat and Chasselas grapes, crunchy William’s Pears, and juicy red currants, the transition from Summer to Autumn is sure to be a sweet one. There’s also a bounty of earthy flavours to enjoy with fresh mushrooms, pumpkins and chestnuts. In case you need some persuading to join the celebrations, we have a delicious offer this month. When you order any of our Autumn Picks, we’ll give you a very tasty 20% off your whole shopping basket! Simply enter the code “AUTUMNFRESH” at the checkout and make sure your basket is over £60 (Offer expires 7th October). Does September get yummier any than that?

Our Autumn Picks

Fresh Mushrooms

Muscat and Chasselas Grapes

Black Cabbage (Cavolo Nero)

Delica and Violina Pumpkins

Red Currants

Quince

William’s Pears

Organic Pork Chops

Reblochon

Beaufort D’Alpage