THE FRENCH PANTRY

Five essential mushroom recipes

Autumn

Mushrooms are synonymous with fall, a time for walks in the forest and tasty little dishes packed with flavour. Here are five kitchen classics to enjoy them in all their glory.

Omelette

Clean the mushrooms without water, using a brush if possible. Chanterelles work well. Remove the damaged parts. Sauté in a pan (about 25 cm or 10”) with a large quantity of butter. Set the mushrooms aside, add more butter to the pan, and when you see foam, pour in six whisked eggs with a pinch of salt and a spoonful of water. Stir the top with a fork while the bottom sets. Add the mushrooms, cook for a minute and then slide the omelette into a plate.

Cream of mushroom soup

Cook 500 g (1.1 lbs) meadow mushrooms, bolete mushrooms or button mushrooms in beurre noisette for 5 minutes. Prepare a béchamel base separately: In a large saucepan, mix 45 g (1/4 cup) melted butter with 35 g (1/4 cup) flour, and then stir in 1 litre (1 quart) veal stock. Add the mushrooms to the béchamel base and cook for 10 minutes. Blend until very smooth. Add cream, nutmeg, salt and pepper, and serve with chives and garlic croutons.

Tart

Prepare a cream with 300 g (10.5 oz) button mushrooms, 40 g (1.4 oz) toasted almonds, a dash of olive oil, parsley leaves and salt. Spread onto a flaky pastry. Top with 500 g (1.1 lbs) black trumpet mushrooms seared beforehand in a bit of olive oil or butter. Mix an egg, 15 cl (5 oz) crème fraîche, salt and pepper. Pour on top. Sprinkle with chives and grated Tomme sheep milk cheese. Bake at 195°C (380°F) for 25 minutes.

Carpaccio

A delight with fresh porcini mushrooms. Cut them finely and drizzle with herb-infused olive oil. Garnish with shallots, lemon and salt. If you can’t get a hold of porcinis, you can also make a lovely salad with finely cut button mushrooms. Be generous with the herbs – a mix of parsley, chervil, chives and a touch of tarragon.

Sauté

Sauteed mushrooms of all types pair well with roasted meat, a classic stew like Coq au vin, or roasted poultry. Remember to cook them at high heat in oil or butter to release their liquid, which you should set aside and pour back in the pan toward the end of cooking, at a lower heat. And be careful with strong flavours! Garlic and parsley pair well with oyster and button mushrooms, but more delicately flavoured mushrooms like chanterelles call for a very light touch.