It's mushroom season, and popping out for some fast food was never easier.
The world seems to be divided when it comes to mushrooms. We either love them or hate them, but there is a lot more going for the humble fungi than meets the eye.
As kids we used to make pocket money collecting field mushrooms and delivering them to the local market. Some would be the size of dinner plates and it was so exciting running from paddock to paddock to discover the next fairy ring that seemed to appear magically in only a matter of hours.
In recent years the variety of farmed mushrooms has increased in tandem with public demand and now many different varieties such as oyster, shiitake and enoki are usually available at most good supermarkets.
While New Zealand doesn't appear to grow some of Europe's classic wild mushrooms such as porcini, morels and chanterelles, you would be surprised at what is edible right here on our doorstep.
I'd always heard that you could eat puffballs for example, and last year, with some prompting from my wife, we did just that and we were pleasantly surprised.
This year, due to the late-summer heat and regular rain, we have noticed an abundance of new mushroom species in addition to the common and flavoursome field mushrooms we all know and love.
Some, with their vibrant red caps and white spots, scream do not eat me, so mixing a little caution with common sense usually avoids an unwanted trip to the bathroom or doctor.
A variety we discovered on our front lawn, under the silver birches, turned out to be from the same family as the porcini and was indeed edible. Mild in taste, moist and with a slight crunch, we found them, again, appealing. (Certainly an exercise that provokes more interesting dinner-table conversation than the tried and tested button mushroom or Portabello.)
Having been swamped with mushrooms this season, it seems appropriate to suggest a few quick recipes in which almost any mushroom will taste great.
Wild field mushrooms with wet polenta and parmesan is rich and earthy and is a fantastic introduction to autumn.
Mushrooms on toast with rocket and olive tapenade is just as easy to prepare and all you need to make this perfect lunchtime dish even better is a glass of Crater Rim Sauvignon Blanc and an afternoon off.
Mushroom risotto is a firm family favourite and is definitely the fast food we should be eating!
A wonderful food source that's hard to ignore, mushrooms are quite delicious and best of all (if you're lucky) they're free.
Mushroom caution
Take care when harvesting wild mushrooms, as some, such as the death cap found in New Zealand, can be extremely poisonous, necessitating a liver transplant if eaten.
A useful guide to wild fungi in New Zealand is Edible and Poisonous Mushrooms of the World by Ian R. Hall, Steven L. Stephenson, Peter K. Buchanan, Wang Yun, Anthony L. J. Cole, available from the author Ian Hall, P. O. Box 268, Dunedin 9054, or truffle1@ihug.co.nz
- Bevan and Monique Smith own the award-winning restaurant and cafe Riverstone Kitchen on SH1 in North Otago, just south of the Waitaki Bridge
Wild field mushrooms with wet polenta and parmesan
Serves 4 -
80ml olive oil
40g butter
600g or 4-6 large field mushrooms, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
half cup parsley, roughly chopped
half a lemon, cut into quarters, with pips removed
500ml full-cream milk
50g polenta
1 tablespoon butter
60g parmesan, shaved or ground truffle oil (optional)
Bring the milk to the boil in a small saucepan then pour into a stainless steel bowl and place over a pot of boiling water.
Slowly whisk the polenta into the milk and whisk for 2-3 minutes until the grains start to thicken.
Cover with cling wrap and cook for 10-15 minutes or until the grains are soft.
Season and whisk in a knob of butter and a little parmesan.
Reserve and keep warm or make ahead of time and reheat in a pot with a little milk to prevent the polenta burning on the bottom of the pot.
In a large heavy-based frying pan heat the olive oil and butter.
Add a third of the mushrooms and when they are partially cooked add another third on top.
This allows the pan to recover enough heat between each addition to fry the mushrooms rather than boil them and avoids ending up with a pan full of water.
When cooked, finish the mushrooms by first adding the garlic.
Cook for a further 20 seconds and then add the parsley, squeeze lemon juice over the top and adjust the seasoning with a little salt and pepper and keep warm.
Divide the polenta between four plates, top with the mushrooms and finish with the parmesan and truffle oil.
Mushrooms on toast with rocket and olive tapenade
Serves 4 -
80ml olive oil
40g butter
600g of medium-sized Portabello mushrooms
8 thick slices of quality ciabatta or sourdough, toasted
100g olive tapenade
2 tablespoons truffle oil (optional)
100g rocket
1 lemon
salt and pepper to taste
Heat olive oil in a large, heavy-base frying pan and cook mushrooms over a high heat until they are well brown and soft.
When cooked add butter, season with salt and pepper and keep warm.
Spread tapenade thickly on to each piece of toast.
Top with mushrooms and rocket and finish with a little truffle oil.
Serve with a wedge of lemon.
Mushroom risotto
Serves 4 -
60ml olive oil
75g unsalted butter
half a red onion, finely chopped
2 small sticks celery, finely chopped
300g field mushrooms, sliced
250g risotto rice (we use Ferron Carnaroli)
100ml dry white wine
500ml chicken or vegetable stock, heated
juice of half a lemon
50g parmesan, shaved
half a cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
In a heavy-based saucepan heat olive oil and half the butter.
Add vegetables and sweat on a medium heat until soft and without colour.
Add mushrooms and cook for a further 5 minutes before adding the rice.
Stir for a further 2 minutes, adding a touch more oil if the pan becomes dry.
Add white wine and reduce until liquid is almost gone. Add half a cup of stock and stir.
Continue adding stock after each addition has been absorbed by the rice, remembering to stir frequently.
Taste a few grains of rice to see if it is cooked.
Remove from heat and finish by stirring in the remaining butter, lemon juice, parsley and a little parmesan.
Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.
Top with remaining parmesan.
