My package arrived with a forest of fungus varieties to check out, including morels, chanterelles, matsutakes, black trumpets, porcinis and some orangey lobster mushrooms. The dried mushrooms are easy to reconstitute with a quick bath of boiling water, 10 minutes of mushroom spa soaking, and then patting dry. Be sure to save the luscious bath water for soup stock or sauces, as this contains succulent 'shroom perfume and taste.
I was smitten with the color and idea of a lobstery mushroom, so I put these to work first in simple omelette dotted with snippings of garden chives and some diced avocado. The lobster mushroom hints at a taste of the sea, but mostly it just provided some pretty carnelian color to the plate.
Less photogenic but much more tasty was my Porcini Mushroom Gravy which I spooned over some pan-fried polenta (northwest quadrant of this horrendous food photo). I reconstituted 1/2 cup dried porcinis, sauteed an onion in butter until soft, added some white rice flour to thicken, added the porcinis (diced finely after their spa treatment), 1 tsp. dried thyme, salt and pepper and stirred it around until it was thickened. What a treat!
As for the other dried mushrooms I am open to ideas about how to best feature them. I think the morels might be most sumptuously enjoyed in a creamy risotto, but if you have another way to showcase their earthy flavor, please let me know. Thanks again to Marx Foods for this awesome mushroom sampler and for the Leftover Queen for letting me in on a whole new food palette to play with.
4 comments:
I love dried porcini! The idea of a porcini gravy on polenta is brilliant! I think you are right about the morels in risotto. I've also been seeing a few things with morels and asparagus together, which could definitely be a thing.
Those lobster mushrooms look beautiful! I love the porcini gravy too. For the morels, I used them in a braised shortribs dish that I served over polenta: http://www.leftoverqueen.com/2010/03/27/seriously-succulent-slow-cooked-short-ribs-over-creamy-polenta
I am so glad you are enjoying your shrooms!
Dried mushrooms are so full of all kinds of amazing flavor and that intangible umami taste. I love your uses of them. Photos might lure the online viewer, but I'm sure the real deal was enticing to the diner when you set these dishes on the table. : )
Gotta love Marx Foods! They are such a great company.
You made wonderful use of these dried goodies so far. When I got my morels, I made a butternut squash and morel chutney with them and served them over pork chops...so good. They would make for a great risotto, though, or would be good over polenta or even pasta!
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