Porcini mushrooms have hats of reddish-brown color and are one of the most desired gifts of the forest, due to the dense texture and aromatic woody taste. No wonder mushroom pickers, returning from the forest, always lay them out on the surface of the basket, boasting of a "catch". From the article you will learn how to properly process mushrooms before frying and cook deliciously according to a simple recipe.
How to process mushrooms?
The collection of mushrooms takes place in the summer (they are called May) and in the fall. Summer specimens are lighter in color, but the taste and smell are the same in both species. These mushrooms often grow in characteristic circles near tree trunks.. This is due to the fact that fungal mycelium penetrates mycorrhiza with the roots of oaks, pines, beech and spruce. When the tree is young, the mushrooms grow very close to the trunk, but with the growth of the tree and its root system, the mycelium moves parallel to the roots, and the mushrooms begin to occur further from the trunks.
White mushroom is considered the most valuable, from a culinary point of view. Its light and dense flesh does not darken during cooking, which often happens with other species (boletus, boletus). Mushroom dishes are valued for their exceptional taste and aroma, whether it be soups, julienne, sauces or pie filling.
Did you know? There is a simple way to distinguish a boletus from its “fakes”: cut the hat and look at the cut - in boletus, the color will remain unchanged, and in unidentified specimens it will become bluish or pinkish.
Careful and high-quality processing before use guarantees not only the maximum preservation of gastronomic value, but also protects from possible health troubles. Heat treatment is not always necessary - during cold salting, mushrooms are laid raw in the workpieces, but in this case, salt and lactic fermentation products are involved in the preparation.
The processing of the "catch" begins immediately upon returning from the forest, because otherwise the next day the entire collection will be spoiled and damaged by worms
Processing sequence:
- The collection must be sorted by type and purpose of further processing - salting, frying, freezing.
- Mushrooms clear of forest debris (grass, needles, leaves). Worms and forests eaten by the inhabitants are thrown out. If the lesions are minor, you can soak the fruits in salt water for half an hour in order to remove “uninvited guests”.
- Scrape off the top layer from the legs with a knife, cutting off the contaminated ends.
- Wipe with a dry cloth or cloth.
- Separate the legs from the caps and cut into equal-sized parts. Small specimens can be left intact.
Important! When slicing, it should be borne in mind that during cooking, the mushrooms boil strongly, losing almost 50% of the initial volume.
Do I need to cook before frying?
White mushroom from the basket to the plate goes through a thorough preparation process. The question of whether boletus should be boiled before frying should be left to the discretion of the hostesses - many send raw fruits directly to the pan, others only scald with boiling water, and some are pre-boiled, which leads to a slight loss of part of the flavor. But since recently poisoning even by edible specimens has become more frequent, it is better to “play it safe” and boil forest mushrooms before frying.
Porcini mushrooms for cold salting, drying and freezing do not wash and do not boil, but only clean
To do this, pour a little water (1 l) into the pan, add salt (1 tsp) and after boiling, immerse the peeled whites. Cook for 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally and removing foam. Drain the broth, and discard the mushrooms in a colander or sieve. The product is ready for further processing: pickling, frying or salting. In this form, it can be frozen, which will save space in the freezer.
How to cook?
The taste qualities of ceps, as well as their unique aroma, make these fruits an important ingredient in Russian cuisine for centuries. Appetizing soups, aromatic sauces and marinades are prepared from these valuable forest products. Dried porcini mushrooms are an integral ingredient on a Christmas Eve table. However, in the season you should be tempted and cook dishes from fresh forest fragrant mushrooms, while there is nothing tastier than fried potatoes with mushrooms.
Before boiling mushrooms, they are boiled in salted water, then filtered, allowing excess liquid to drain, and sent to a dry frying pan. It is necessary to wait for the complete evaporation of water and only then add vegetable oil. As soon as the mushrooms begin to brown, introduce finely chopped onions and continue frying for another 10-15 minutes until it becomes transparent.
Put peeled and chopped potatoes in a pan and bring to readiness, salt to taste. The dish can be sprinkled with green onions, but it is advisable not to use spicy greens (dill, parsley) so as not to drown out the aroma and taste of the mushrooms.
Did you know? The aroma of mushrooms does not exist for gourmets, but to attract the smell of animals that eat fruiting bodies and spread spores to other parts of the forest.
You can stew fried mushrooms with onions in cream for 20 minutes, and serve fried or boiled potatoes separately and pour over the resulting sauce. It will serve as an excellent complement to any side dish, roast, meat or fish.
No matter how ceps are cooked, the good taste and aroma of the finished dish will not leave indifferent any gourmet. But the mushroom season is short, so try to dry the mushrooms, and dishes with them will be a delicious decoration of any festive table.