Cep Mushrooms
How to identify cep/porcini mushrooms
Now is the time for those wonderful mushrooms known as cepes aka porcini aka boletus. Whatever name you want to call them they are a fabulous mushroom and much revered by the Italians and French. Imagine, if you will, a world without porcini risotto? Okay, so it’s not important but to Italians and foodies like me it would be nothing less than a shattering blow.
Fresh or dried I love the flavour they impart on a dish, it gives a natural earthiness in the way a truffle offers a dish and the more simple the dish the better the result. These will now feature on a couple of new dishes, it’s not often that I repeat an ingredient but for these I will always make an exception.
First up will be a ravioli made with a light chicken mousse enriched with sauteed cepes, truffle shavings, shallots and fresh thyme which will sit on a spoon of braised lentils alongside a freshly roasted partridge. Second will be a new monkfish dish, I dust the fish with cep powder before roasting and then serve the fish with some of the larger ceps and some slow cooked oxtails. Simple but full of flavour.
If you don’t fancy picking wild mushrooms yourself and I would always advise going with someone who knows what they are doing then look out for dried porcini in your nearest deli. A small pack does last a while if you use them wisely. Soak them in warm water and one soft strain the water through a fine sieve and use as a base for your dish or sauce.
There are many varieties of of boletus, the true cep is known as Cepe de Bordeaux or Borletus edulis and is certainly the best. Other boletus can be quite tasty and make for a worthy alternative. Look out for them in woods, check under beech, chestnut and oak trees. It will have a bronze coloured cap with a white or yellow underside and stem. Some may have a slightly green tint but they will never be red.
If you get hold of some fresh ones then you can do a lot worse than cooking them in some olive oil flavoured with a little garlic and finished with rock salt, chopped parsley and a squeeze of fresh lemon.
Miles
they look superb, I wonder arethey available generally in decent supermarkets or only specialized outlets ?
Cheers
Rod
September 4, 2008 @ 7:14 am
Rod,
Probably hard to find fresh around here in a local store but sliced and dried porcini are common. They aren’t cheap but a little does go a long way.
Miles
September 4, 2008 @ 7:33 am
Miles,
Years ago I went on an organised fungi foray which involved a fair bit of walking around the woods in groups. Since I was on my own I quickly attached myself to a group of safe looking middle aged women, the alternative didn’t appeal much… middle aged men or families with loud children. How time changes us, now I’d probably opt for one of the alternatives
Anyway I digress, back to the fungi. Our group was the only one to find a penny bun or cep. It was huge and as I remember had sort of spongy gills, my question is do we eat this or scrape it off?
As you say Miles, the dried version is readily available in supermarkets and deli’s, full of flavour and a wonderful addition to the kitchen pantry.
Would it be a good idea to send your brother on a fungi foray in his locality….. send him in with a compass and some flares or he might get lost
One must remember to book well in advance as they always used to be popular. For Lincolnshire folk, check the ‘What’s On’ from your district council. If there’s nothing try North Kesteven.
How tragic that chemists in this country don’t offer the same service as in France, who gladly identify the fungi before you eat them.
Cid
September 4, 2008 @ 9:16 am
Miles,
Thank you for this timely blog. The dish you describe sounds delicious.
I got hooked on porcinies in Italy. As you say they are not cheap but you only need relatively little. The flavour is so much more intense.
The only ceps I would feel comfortable at finding and eating are chantrelles, I could smell them before I spotted them in the woodlands amongst the fallen leaves. My family then fried them in butter for supper!
Elsie
September 4, 2008 @ 3:49 pm
Cid,
Cepes do house a mass of ‘tubes’ which collectively look like a sponge. I would just wipe them clean with a fine brush. The head and stem can be seperated and sliced evenly.
Miles
September 4, 2008 @ 3:51 pm
Miles,
Nothing to do with the scrumptious Cep but can I tell you about my latest brew? Some time back I mentioned that I might make another cordial with plants from the garden. Well I used the same quantity of sugar and water as for elderflower cordial but used instead young stems of angelica, lemon balm leaves plus a whole lemon sliced, a little spearmint and a little tarragon, a splash of orange flower water and 50gm citric acid. 24hrs later and mixed with chilled sparkling water, I have to report that I like it…. now this might not be for everybody, the scent of angelica is quite strong but it was very easy to make. Next spring when the lemon balm is at it’s freshest I might just use that as the main flavour. For a winter treat it could be spiced cordial. For parents who worry about additives, this is a good idea but always check that consumers are not allergic to citric acid, apparently some people are which was news to me.
Cid ~ bring on the rosehips!
September 4, 2008 @ 6:11 pm
Cid,
‘Off topic’ comments like this are fine by me. That sounds really nice, decidedly English and it makes me want to drink it.
Seriously, I hope you are appreciated for what you do. People like you and, it has to be said, my mother are few and far between and your efforts should find their just rewards.
Well done Cid, a joy to read.
Miles
September 4, 2008 @ 8:36 pm
Elsie,
Fried chanterelles in butter-that’s all I do with them-you can have my job!!
Miles
September 4, 2008 @ 9:16 pm
Out in the woods yesterday, foung some ceps and lots of lobster mushrooms. What is the best way to store the lobsters?
September 16, 2008 @ 6:45 pm
Maureen,
Welcome to the blog and thanks for commenting. Sounds like a great find! You’ve done well with the ceps and lobsters and I would have a go at pickling them or preserving them in olive oil with some simple Italian flavours. I cannot say with authority if they would dry but perhaps somebody reading this might know.
For those who might not know, lobster mushrooms aren’t actually a true mushroom, think of them as a fungi on a fungi which turns a lobster red, hence the name.
Good luck with the walks Maureen,
kind regards
Miles
September 17, 2008 @ 6:37 pm