I am not much of a cook. I want to find an inexpensive, quick, nutritious, and tasty way to satisfy my appetite. Many elaborate recipes have been created to use with wild mushrooms; when I have tasted the results, the mushrooms hardly ever peeked out from the megadoses of exotic ingredients. Why go to the trouble of picking mushrooms if you can't even taste them? With this in mind, I offer my two cents on preparing mushrooms for the mouth...
So, you picked some mushrooms. Do you know what kind they are? If not, hold everything until you find out. It should go without saying, but for the record DO NOT EAT ANYTHING UNLESS YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY SURE OF ITS IDENTITY. Don't put blind trust in what you buy at the supermarket, either. For other suggested "edibility rules", click here.
Anyway, getting the mushrooms ready to be cooked is one of the most time consuming processes. Discard moldy mushrooms, and ones with lots of maggots in them. Small bruised areas, or areas with a few worm-holes, may be cut away and the rest of the mushroom retained for use. Mushrooms should not generally be soaked in water or washed to remove dirt. A brush or damp towel will remove most of the dirt. I'm not a clean freak when it comes to food; a little dirt and a few conifer needles add authenticity to the experience.
Most mushrooms can be cooked using a very easy method: Cut the mushrooms into fairly large thin slices, and throw them into a fry pan with a little butter over low-medium heat. Saute for a few minutes until the mushrooms are of a desirable consistency. Options include adding vegetables such as green peppers or onions at the beginning of the saute. Mushrooms with a high water content should be cooked uncovered, while those that tend to be drier and harder (such as matsutakes) may be covered for a minute or so to make them more tender. Sauteed mushrooms may be used in the dishes below.
Sauteed wild mushrooms, to taste
1 can condensed cream-of-something soup
Splash of milk
Cooked turkey or hamburger (optional)
Sliced bread
Empty contents of soup can into a saucepan, adding only a
small amount of milk rather than a full can. Stir in mushrooms and meat
(if desired), and bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring often. Lightly
toast slices of bread. Pour soup mixture over bread and serve as a hot,
open-faced sandwich. Favorite mushrooms: Hedgehogs, matsutakes, and chanterelles.
Fresh or sauteed chanterelles
Chopped onion and/or green peppers, to taste
Margarine for saute
Grated pepper-jack cheese, to taste
2-3 fresh eggs
Saute chanterelles along with onion and green peppers. Beat
eggs and add to hot skillet. Fold in sauteed ingredients and cheese to
make a killer omelette. Serve hot.
Pizza
Enough mushrooms to be well-represented on said pizza
Prepare pizza as you normally would, and add sauteed mushrooms
when done. Or, add frozen mushrooms (see below) before cooking the pizza.
Delicious mushrooms: chanterelles, Agaricus species, and according
to one person Russula xerampelina.