Sauteed Porcini Mushrooms
After leaving Seattle, and the International Food Blog Conference had ended, a little bit of sadness swept over me – luckily I did not leave empty handed. Let me paint you a little picture of our departure – Albert and myself, 12 burlap tote bags filled with conference goodies, books, boxes of Belgium waffle mix, 2 laptops, 2 lbs. of fresh salmon jerky, 1 ripe mango, 2 lb. of fresh porcini mushrooms, 2 full stomachs, 1 large backpack with an extremely heavy camera, and two tired people – happy to be heading home, but sad the experience came and went so quickly. I don’t know if you noticed one of the key things I was able to bring back from Pike’s Market in Seattle…. FRESH Porcini mushrooms! That’s right – FRESH. I rarely find porcini mushrooms that haven’t been dehydrated or frozen anywhere outside Europe, let alone affordable ones. So what did I do? Ask for as much as I could carry back of course. (If you want the name of the supplier by the way, just shoot me an email 🙂 ).
Porcini mushrooms, if you have never had them before, are one of the most incredible tasting things you will ever put into your mouth. They are so rich, woodsy, nutty, earthy, meaty… the texture so silky yet substantial, they are my favorite mushrooms. Dried porcinis are fabulous as well, but there is NOTHING like the taste of a fresh mushroom. I gave away a good amount of the porcinis to Albert’s mom, since she is a chef and I knew she would go crazy for them, and the rest I cooked with. (I even vacuum sealed and froze 3 of the mushrooms in case my poor soul wouldn’t be able to get my hands on any more fresh ones, I’m crazy I know).
So with the last few mushrooms I had, I decided to make a really simple recipe that showcased the flavor of the mushroom, and just spiced it up a touch. You really don’t need to add much when you are sauteing fresh mushrooms – the nutty and earthy flavors are enough to entrance the tongue, but a little something is always nice.
Ingredients
- 2 cups porcini mushrooms, chopped roughly
- 2 tbsp. parsley, minced
- 1 shallot, minced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- olive oil
- salt and pepper, to taste
- pinch of truffle salt to finish
Instructions
- Heat a tbsp. of olive oil in a saute pan. Cook the shallot and garlic for about 2 minutes, until they begin to turn golden, then add in mushrooms. Drizzle a little more olive oil on top, season lightly with salt and pepper, and cook for about 4-5 minutes, until they get tender. Add in the parsley, and cook for another minute or two. Remove from the pan once the mushrooms are al dente, and sprinkle lightly with truffle salt. (You can also use dehydrated porcinis and add these in, along with the juice you used to re hydrate them - this is a really good option as well). Enjoy!
Can’t wait to make a great omelette with mine or just sauté them with fresh green beans, thanks!!!
Looks delicious! Did you put wine in too?
Nicely done, as always Lizzy…
Definitely looks delicious…