Once again the season of wild mushrooms is here with heart warming winter dishes using Porcini wild mushrooms (edible boletus). Their distinctive woody flavour blends itself with various recipe ideas and can create wonderful innovative combinations that could otherwise be bland.
Wild Porcini Mushroom Soup
Ingredients for 8 portions:
– 400g Porcini del Boscaiolo
– 28g Fondo Bruno
– 1 Garlic Clove
– 1 Tbs Freshly Chopped Parsley
– Salt and Pepper
– 2 Lt Vegetable Bouillon (22g / 1t water)
– 1 Tbs Flour
– 28g Butter
– 30ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Finely chop the onion and garlic and fry gently in the oil and butter until golden and soft, then add the porcini and stir.
Mix the flour with the fondo and a little of the stock until smooth then add to the porcini. Cook for a few minutes then slowly add the remaining stock stirring constantly. As it comes to the boil add the parsley, salt and pepper to taste.
Serve at once. Garnish with warm savoury croutons.
(Please note that if you prefer a more creamery soup, just add a couple of tablespoons of double cream)
Quails with Porcini and Truffle
Ingredients for 4 portions:
– 8 Deboned Quails
– 160g Porcini Preparati
– 3 Shallots
– 1 Clove Garlic
– 100ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil
– 30m Dry White Wine
– 50g Tartufata Truffle Paste
– 100g 5 Cheese Sauce
– 100ml Milk
– 1 Tbs Freshly Chopped Parsley
– Salt and Pepper
Finely chop the shallots and garlic, gently fry in a little of the oil until golden and soft.
Chop the porcini and mix with the shallots, add the parsley, salt, and pepper to taste.
Put the remainder of the olive oil in a roasting tin. Take the quails and stuff with the porcini mixture. Seal with a wooden toothpick and place in a tin. Splash with white wine and place in a medium
preheated oven for approximately 15 minutes until cooked. Baste while cooking with the juices in the pan.
In the meantime, place the 5 cheese sauce, milk and truffle paste in a saucepan and slowly melt
until amalgamated into a creamery sauce
consistency.
Remove the quails from the oven. Strain the juices
and add to the sauce. Place a little sauce on the plate, 2 quails on top and serve at once.