Be thoughtful and generous if you’re fortunate enough to spot them. Leave the large and overly mature mushrooms to spread their spores and create future delicious generations of porcini, and leave the smallest to return a few days later and harvest again when they’re a bit bigger. It’s difficult to find porcini in my neck of the woods, so I
often rely on purchases from other foragers. Tankfully, both frozen and dried are available online. Tey freeze beautifully and dried mushrooms pack a lot of flavor! Fresh or dried, I know you’ll love them. I’m sharing recipes for a rich, Porcini Fennel and Sherry Chowder, a Porcini Pork Ragu, and tips for drying and using dried porcini in your favorite dishes. Enjoy!
A surprise gift of fresh California porcini inspired a quick and
delicious ragu using tender, flavorful bits of roasted pork, San Marzano tomatoes, red wine, a stock made from dried porcini, and a nice chunk of butter ala Marcella Hazan. Simple, but after a long simmer over low heat it makes a beautiful sauce served over big paccheri pasta tubes topped with a handful of nutty, grated Grana Padano. Note: Substitute cremini or even shiitake for fresh porcini, and any hearty tube pasta like rigatoni will work just fine. Always use freshly grated cheese and a good olive oil. Like all simple dishes, quality ingredients are key!
Pork and Porini Ragu with Paccher
Makes 3–4 servings
Ingredients: Small handful (1/2 ounce) of dried porcini mushrooms 1 1/2 cups light chicken or vegetable stock 2 tablespoons plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
8 ounces pork; use shoulder, country ribs, etc., trimmed and roughly chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
Salt and black pepper 1/2 onion, finely chopped 1 clove garlic, minced 2 ounces of 1/4 inch thick diced prosciutto (about 1/4 cup)
8 ounces chopped fresh porcini mushrooms (substitute cremini or shiitake)
2 tablespoons tomato paste 1 cup red wine 14 ounce can of whole plum tomatoes (ideally San Marzano) 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 1 teaspoon dried thyme 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon dried red chili flakes 1 to 2 tablespoons cold butter 12 ounces dried paccheri, rigatoni, or penne pasta 1/2 cup grated Grana Padano or Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs; basil and/or flat leaf parsley
Extra virgin olive oil
Winter 2022 FUNGI Volume 15:1 43
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