Mushroom
Here in Australia we have just entered winter for the year and so we are at the peak of our mushroom season. All through the streets of my suburb there are mushrooms popping up on front lawns although they are mostly the noxious yellow-stainers that look deceptively like the edible mushrooms sold in the supermarket. There are so many recipes for mushrooms that it is hard to pick a favorite. From common field mushrooms I like to make a soup that simmers the dark-gilled giants in chicken stock with a base of caramelized onions and handfuls of chopped parsley. To thicken this potage I use stale bread that I soak in the mushroom broth, blitzing the mixture to a smoothish consistency before serving it piping hot with a dollop of cream and a couple of pieces of grilled rye bread on the side.
Perhaps my favorite variety of mushroom (at the minute) is Portobello, a dark-skinned mushroom with creamy white flesh and a robust earthy flavor. I like to sauté the sliced mushrooms in a generous measure of clarified butter until the flesh is a lovely caramelized color and then serve them on top of a char grilled piece of fillet steak. They are also excellent roasted whole, drizzled with olive oil, sprinkled with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and finished with roughly chopped thyme. Served on the side of a breakfast plate of bacon and eggs they are the perfect start to the day.
The Wandering Chef
Chefologist 