Xabier Gutiérrez, head of the culinary research laboratory at Restaurante Arzak in San Sebastián, shares spring mushroom recipes on his blog. Here are two simple ideas using St George's mushroom (Calocybe gambosa) and morels (Morchella esculenta).
St George's mushrooms
Clean the mushrooms with a dry brush, then sauté them briefly – about 30 seconds – in a pan with a little extra virgin olive oil. Drain, season with salt and serve on toast. We suggest a wholegrain artisan loaf made with spelt, sesame or linseed.
Morels in cream
- Clean the morels with cold water and a brush to remove any soil trapped inside.
- Boil them for 2–3 minutes. Morels must always be thoroughly cooked – never eat them raw.
- Sauté a chopped onion until golden, season with salt and pepper, then add 62 ml milk and 62 ml single cream.
- When it comes to the boil, add the whole morels and cook for ten minutes.
For an extra touch, Xabier suggests filling the morels with a vegetable mousse. Enjoy!
Images: xabiergutierrezcocinero.com