Until recent years, the ubiquitous "button" mushroom was THE American mushroom, most often available in a can. Thankfully, the past couple decades have brought to the American diet an endless variety of wild mushrooms of all different shapes, sizes, flavors and textures: shiitake, porcini, portabello, crimini (actually just baby portabellos), morels, enoki, chantrelles, oyster, maitake - the list goes on and on.
Also recently dispelled is the myth that mushrooms contain virtually no nourishment, and are hard to digest. Not true! In fact, the past few decades have taught us quite the opposite: almost all mushrooms contain powerful nutrients for health. Some examples: Oyster mushrooms have been shown to inhibit tumors and dramatically reduce cholesterol and show promise as a blood-builder; Shiitakes strengthen immune function, lower LDL cholesterol, are strong anti-virals, and have exhibited strong anti-tumor properties. Portabellos and criminis have powerful anti-tumor abilities, and Maitakes have been shown to lower high blood pressure, protect the liver, stimulate T-cell production, and inhibit the growth of tumors.
In Japan, mushroom extracts are part of the most progressive medicine in caring for cancer patients and strengthening delicate immune systems ravished by disease.
As it turns out, mushrooms are a powerful super food - and these super powers can be of great service to us as we fend off invaders during the cold days of winter.
Some tips:
• You can buy mushrooms fresh or dried. Dried are convenient to have on hand always, and reconstitute within 20 minutes. The reconstitution liquid makes a nutrient-dense and very flavorful broth.
• If buying fresh, inspect your mushrooms for vital signs; their gills (the underside of the cap) should be intact and undamaged, and the mushroom should not smell of ammonia or mold, but rather a pleasant odor evocative of earth. Be careful buying mushrooms suffering behind plastic - Mushrooms hate plastic, and often don't look so hot if they've been there for a while. Store your mushrooms in paper bags or glass. Never plastic.
• Mushrooms are best cooked. Many raw mushrooms contain a substance that makes the protein in them difficult to break down. This substance cooks out. Some mushrooms (such as morels) have substances in them that can cause serious gastric distress if not cooked out. In general, the nutrients in mushrooms are more bio-available when cooked.
• Cleaning mushrooms: always do this right before cooking. With a damp cloth, gently brush off any dirt. Washing mushrooms washes away delicate flavor, and mushrooms don't like a lot of water, so only submerge them if they're looking really grimy. In that case, fill a bowl or clean sink with cold water, and delicately swish your mushrooms around. Remove promptly.
• In case this has inspired in you a sense of adventure, make note of an old mushroom hunter's phrase: "there are old mushroomers, and there are bold mushroomers, but there are no old, bold mushroomers!" Don't pick and eat a mushroom unless you're absolutely, completely sure what it is. There are better things worth dying for...
Wild Mushroom Fricassee Over Farro (or Barley)
Note: This recipe calls for a pressure cooker to cook the grain quickly. If you're not so equipped, that's ok: you can cook it in a regular pot on the stovetop (1 part farro to 3 parts liquid - simmer for 25 minutes). You'll want to start that first, and skip step 4.
2 lbs mixed mushrooms (shiitake, chantrelle, cremini, oyster - whatever you want!)
3 T olive oil
1 1/2 t coarse sea salt
fresh black pepper
1 1/2 c. farro or barley (yummy, nutty grains!)
2 T butter
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 t all-purpose flour
2/3 cup dry red wine
2 T each of chopped flat-leaf parsley, thyme, and rosemary
1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
grated parmesan cheese
1. Place a rimmed baking sheet in the middle of an oven and preheat to 450 degrees
2. Cut the mushrooms into 1-inch pieces, leaving small ones whole
3. Toss the mushrooms with 2 T olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Spread the mushrooms on the hot pan from the oven and roast there for 15 minutes.
4. Prepare the farro: In a pressure cooker over high heat, bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add the farro and 1 teaspoon of salt, and secure the lid. When the pot comes to full pressure, reduce the heat to med-low and simmer for 9 minutes. Remove from heat, and slowly release pressure (with the gauge, or by running cold water on the closed pot at the sink). Test the farro for doneness, and if necessary, simmer, uncovered, for a few minutes more, until tender. Cover to keep warm.
5. Melt the butter in a large saute pan and add the onion and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Saute until the onions begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Reduce to low, cover, and simmer another 5 minutes.
6. Transfer the roasted mushrooms to the onion pan. Add the flour and saute, stirring, until the flour browns and begins to stick to the bottom, about 3 minutes.
7. Add the wine and 1/2 cup water. Scrape up the brown bits from the pan with a wooden spoon and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until the sauce thickens, about 2 minutes.
8. Add the herbs and garlic, simmer 1 more minute. Season with salt and pepper. Serve over farro, and finish with a sprinkle of parmesan.
Recipe borrowed from one of my favorite cook books, Peter Berley's Fresh Food Fast.
