Edible wild mushrooms grow almost everywhere. Their flavors are woodsy, earthy, and complex; their textures, pleasantly meaty and chewy. They are a tasty and rewarding food for foragers; chanterelles, morels, boletus, and oyster mushrooms are among the common varieties that are easy to identify. However, never eat mushrooms you have gathered in the wild unless you know exactly what you are doing and can positively identify your mushrooms. Take no chances. Investigate your local resources—an amateur mycological society or a mushroom expert at your local college or university—to learn about the growing habits of wild mushrooms and how to identify them. Where wild mushrooms are abundant they are gathered by commercial pickers and sold in markets. Buy wild mushrooms that look fresh and alive, without any signs or smells of mold or rot. Store them in a paper bag in the refrigerator and eat them as soon as possible. Clean them carefully. If they are not too muddy or sandy, you can use a paring knife to carve away irregularities and discolorations and use a damp cloth to wipe away any dirt that can’t be scraped off. Trim away the stem ends and any blemished places. Especially dirty mushrooms may need to be quickly dunked in cold water to get rid of the dirt and grit of the wild, but don’t let them soak or they will absorb a lot of water. Drain them well. Common cultivated mushrooms—both the white ones and the brown cremini—can now be found organically grown. Look for smaller mushrooms that have tightly closed caps. Trim the stem ends and wipe the caps clean; no further washing is needed.
Ingredients
Preparation
Put a skillet over high heat. When it’s very hot, add enough olive oil to coat the pan. Quickly add the mushrooms and a sprinkle of salt. If the mushrooms give off so much water that they start simmering in liquid instead of sautéing, tip off the excess liquid and save it for another use. Domestic mushrooms will have less moisture and should be cooked over lower heat. You may have to add a bit more oil at this point. Continue sautéing the mushrooms until they begin to brown and are tender to the bite. If you have more than one kind of mushroom, sauté each kind separately before combining them. When they are ready, you can add a splash of cream or a spoonful of crème fraîche and cook until just hot. Or add chopped thyme and garlic or a sprinkling of Gremolata (page 231) and sauté gently for a moment before serving on croutons, alongside grilled meat, or inside an omelet—or as a pasta sauce.
