Anyone living within easy access of forests across Russia, Poland, Finland and Northern Europe will know about mushroom hunts. As soon as the leaves are on the ground, people creep silently in the early morning through the undergrowth, reluctant to give their position away lest other hunters discover where they have made their finds of wonderful and exotic mushrooms.

More and more unusual mushrooms are reaching Washington's supermarkets and farmers' markets. Go to any large Asian market and you'll find fungii that look like undersea growths. What are they all? And what to do with them?

Chanterelles or girolles - golden horns, delectable cooked Russian-style with sour cream and boiled potatoes, or served with game
Cremini - superior button mushrooms
Enoki - clumps of tiny heads on long stalks with no flavor, should be left uncooked and used as pretty decoration
Maitake or Hen of the Woods - like a pearly grey head of leafy seaweed and can be as large. Delicate bosky flavor, edible  raw or cooked
Morels - look like dark clumps of tripe or brain, with a terrific flavor and chewy texture that goes well with game (the small ones) or stuffed (the large)
Oyster - pearly sheen and color, with a mild flavor that adapts to sauces
Porcini or Cèpes - more easily found dried. Strong, woodsy flavor, even when fresh. One dried one, stored in a jar of arborio rice, will infuse it with flavor. Popular in risottos and with game. When fresh, is seductive sautéed just with butter, garlic and parsley.
Shiitake - a slippery, chewy texture and woodsy flavor that lends itself well to Asian stir fries and chicken dishes.

Posted on Saturday 17th May 2008 in Far North, France, Northern Europe, Ingredients