What Are Porcini Mushrooms?
Porcini, also referred to as wild mushrooms; are well known for their intensely rich, meaty, nutty, and earthy aroma.
First off, please note that mushrooms are not ingredients you should forage without knowledge of what is edible and what is not. Because there are poisonous mushrooms that can be fatal.
What Do Porcini Mushrooms Look Like?
In their fresh state, porcini mushrooms vary in size and have a thick off-white to cream stem and plump light brown cap shaped like an umbrella. When dried, they look like the bark of a tree.
What Do Porcini Mushrooms Taste Like?
Porcini mushrooms have a nutty, earthy, and almost meaty flavor that comes from the sulfur compounds.
Where Can You Buy Porcini Mushrooms?
Fresh porcini mushrooms are not as easy to find, their dried counterparts, however, can be found in specialty stores or selected supermarkets known to cater to an international clientele.
How to Store Porcini Mushrooms
Once mushrooms (in general) are harvested and stored at room temperature, they will slowly start losing their fresh flavor while the caps and gills become more savory.
Store fresh mushrooms in a moisture-absorbing container (between 4-6°C / 40-45°F.) to avoid any moisture created that would lead to spoilage.
Dried porcini mushrooms should be stored in an airtight container in a dark place.
However, it is ideal to use fresh mushrooms as soon as they are bought.
How to Use Porcini Mushrooms
1. Dry porcini mushrooms to intensify their flavor.
2. Dehydrate them and turn them into powder.
3. Use them in soups of course!
How to Rehydrate Porcini Mushrooms
Steep the porcini mushrooms in hot water for 20 minutes or until they are soft enough to use in the recipe.
Dice the mushrooms if the recipe calls for it or leave them whole; as you prefer.
How to Cook Porcini Mushrooms
Sieve the softened porcini mushrooms from the water and set it aside.
Dice the mushrooms to the preferred size
The water can also be used for cooking as it intensifies the flavor.
Porcini Mushrooms Recipes
Ready to indulge in some bold and deliciously rich porcini recipes or recipes that you could dunk a porcini here and there? Well, here is a porcini mushroom recipe to try:
Porcini Mushroom Risotto
A rich and creamy risotto made with intensely flavored porcini mushrooms and grana padano cheese and optionally finished with a knob of butter for an even smoother finish.
Porcini Mushroom Fun facts
Plump as they are, mushrooms are 80/90% water
Is Mushroom a Good Source of Protein? Well, mushrooms have more protein and vitamin B12 than other vegetables.
Why Do Some Recipes Say That You Should Not Wash Mushrooms? Because some believe that this will lead to soggy mushrooms and lessened flavor.
What do I think about that? The dirt needs to be washed off no matter what! Wash the mushrooms quickly and use immediately after.
The mushrooms are mostly made of water anyway and that short period spent washing them will not do so much harm. Yes, a little flavor may be lost but nothing that in my opinion would cause a major difference in the flavor of the dish.
The only disadvantage to washing the mushrooms is if you do not use them immediately after; as this would result in discolored mushrooms.
FOLLOW on: Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, and Youtube to know what’s fresh off the stove/oven. Or subscribe below to be notified of new posts by email.
No Comments