Porcini Mushrooms

What Are Porcini Mushrooms?

Porcini mushrooms are brown-capped mushrooms with thick, white stalks. The caps can range in size from an inch to a foot, but most collected specimens are no more than a few inches. The caps have a convex shape when young. Giving them the ideal appearance for mushrooms, and neede no prep other than a quick clean. Because of their status in fine cuisine, their short season. and how difficult they are to cultivate, recipes for porcini mushrooms can be pricey. A pound of fresh porcini costs between £30-£60 depending on the quality. With dried mushrooms priced a little lower.

How to Cook With dried porcini mushrooms

Porcini mushrooms should not soaked in water or even rinsed if possible. Use a dry or damp paper towel to wipe any dirt off of each mushroom before using. Excess water will cause the delicate mushrooms to deteriorate before cooking.

To prepare dried porcini, steep them in enough warm water to cover for 20 to 30 minutes. or until they’ve softened and expanded. Drain them and reserve the liquid for use as broth in a soup or risotto.

What Do Porcini Mushrooms Taste Like?

Porcini mushrooms are often described as nutty. And earthy with a meatiness in flavor and texture. They have a similar taste to other, more common mushrooms, but with a deeper and nuttier flavor. Fresh mushrooms have a tender, meaty texture when cooked. Dried porcini add a deep, mushroom flavor to broths or sauces and. Once rehydrated, have a chewy texture.

Porcini Mushroom Recipes

Fresh porcini mushrooms can be sautéed, braised, fried, grilled, or stewed. They tend to be prepare(such as sautéed) to maintain their flavor and texture. Served as a side dish or added to risotto or pasta, they are a seasonal treat. The both produced by soaking dried porcini adds a depth of flavor to soups and recipes that use stock. and the rehydrated mushrooms, cooked or smoked and added to dishes.

If you’re lucky enough to find fresh porcini mushrooms, make a simple sauté or add them to risotto or smoke it. Risotto can also be made using dried porcini and cremini or white mushrooms. For an extra mushroom barley soup. add dried porcini and replace some of the broth with the soaking liquid.

Where to Buy Porcini Mushrooms

Fresh porcini are a rare treat, appearing for a short month or two in autumn and sometimes again in the late spring. They can sometimes found sold by the ounce. Or small container in specialty markets or in our store and farmers’ markets while in season. Dried porcini are available year-round at Italian and specialty markets or online.

Porcini mushrooms should be firm with unblemished white stalks. and brown caps, not nicked or broken. If the undersides of the caps have a yellowish-brown tinge to them. The mushrooms are almost too ripe. And if they have black spots on them or the under caps are deep green, they’re already too ripe.

When purchasing dried porcini, avoid any packages with lots of small crumbs. These mushrooms are likely old and lacking in flavor. Also, they should have a heady mushroom aroma.

How to Store Porcini Mushrooms

Store fresh, unwashed porcini mushrooms in a loose paper bag in the crisper of the fridge. They’ll keep for a few days, but don’t wait to cook these precious fungi. They’re best used right away. Dried porcini should be kept in an airtight container in a dark, cool (but not cold) place for up to six months.

Porcini vs. Shiitake

Porcini are sometimes confused with shiitake mushrooms. Both mushrooms are sold dried and rehydrated for use in broths, soups, and sauces. Shiitake mushrooms have a meatier flavor with less earthy mushroom taste. And cost less than porcini. They serve as a more cheap replacement for dried porcini mushrooms. If you would prefer a meatier flavor.

A warming soup, tasty risotto. or mouth-watering pasta can be a delightful dish served up as a lunchtime treat or at dinner, can’t it? By adding Porcini mushrooms you can make it all the more pleasurable. How? By infusing your dish with Porcini mushrooms’ wonderful nutty flavour. These mushrooms are most found in Italian cuisine, but are by no means only found there.

Porcini mushrooms are far from easy to source fresh. meaning that so many gourmet dining enthusiasts unfortunately fail. to make them a must -include on their shopping lists. The good news is that Fine Food Specialist has done all the hard work for you. Here, we can offer you an impressive selection of porcini mushroom. products available to buy. items that can help you bring out that unmistakable Porcini flavour. in a wide range of different dishes. As and when you need to – to please your own palate, or to meet the taste-buds of guests.

Flash frozen Porcini – for your convenience

Keeping a quantity of Porcini mushrooms in your freezer is always a good idea. But don’t concerned that the freezing process will diminish texture or flavour. when it comes to preparing a home-cooked dish or a restaurant meal. Flash freezing Porcini means the mushrooms are kept intact. Flavour- and texture-wise. meaning you can take some from the freezer as and when you need to, feeling confident.

A rich and meaty flavour you’ll love

If freezing isn’t quite for you, why not opt for fresh Porcini mushrooms instead? With a bottle of truffle oil at the ready and a chiffonade of parsley prepared. pan-frying or sliced Porcini mushrooms (aka ceps) in olive oil. with a dash of butter here and there, is quick and easy to do. with the result being everything you want from a Porcine dish. A rich and meaty mushroom dining experience, prepared in a jiffy.