stew in a little water until done; add two ounces butter and one
teaspoonful of salt, one-half teaspoonful of pepper. Wet a teaspoonful
of flour with two gills of cream and mix with the beaten yolks of two
eggs. Add, and mix well with the toadstool.
Cut the upper crust from some small French rolls. Scoop out the inside
of both upper and lower part, brush them with melted butter and brown in
the oven; fill them, put on the top. Serve.
Or, when cooked as directed, serve in paper cases, or pastry shells.
TO DRY MUSHROOMS. (English method.)
Take those neither very young nor very old. Remove the butts only. Then
slice, string or skewer the slices lightly, and expose to a current of
warm dry air. A warm oven, with the door open, is a good place. When
quite dry and shrivelled, pack in tins, with spice at top and bottom.
When wanted for use, soak the slices in tepid water for some hours. Then
cook.
_Hay._
STEWED MUSHROOMS ON TOAST.
Cut the mushrooms—caps and stems—into pieces of equal size. Place in a
covered saucepan. To each pint add one ounce (two level tablespoonfuls)
of butter. Enough water will have been retained by the gills after
washing to make sufficient liquor. Stew slowly twenty minutes; season to
taste with pepper and salt. Place upon toast.
_McIlvaine._
TO FRY MUSHROOMS.
Lay them in a frying pan in which butter has been heated boiling hot.
After frying five minutes serve on a hot dish—pouring over them the
sauce made by thickening the butter with a little flour. This is as
delicious as more elaborate ways of cooking and retains the mushroom’s
distinctive flavor in full perfection.
FRICASSE OF MUSHROOMS.
Wash, put them into a chafing dish, sprinkle over a teaspoonful of salt,
a quarter of a teaspoonful of black pepper, cover and cook slowly for
five minutes. Moisten a tablespoonful of flour in a gill of milk, strain
this into the mushrooms, bring to boiling point, add the yolks of two
eggs slightly beaten, a tablespoonful of chopped parsley, and serve at
once.
_Mrs. S.T. Rorer._
MUSHROOM PICKLES.
One-half peck of either Agaricus campester, Lepiota procera, Hypholoma
fascicularis, Hypholoma perplexum, Clitocybe multiceps, Russula
virescens. Select sound specimens, cut off ends of stems (entire stem of
fascicularis or procerus), rub the tops with flannel dipped in salt.
Throw them into milk and water (one-fourth milk). Drain and put them
into a stew pan. Sprinkle the layers with salt—one-half gill to one-half
peck mushrooms. Cover them close and put them over a gentle fire for
five minutes to draw out the water. Then put them on a coarse cloth and
drain until cold (or put on mosquito netting in a colander).
To prepare a pickle for them: Take one-half gallon vinegar (if strong
dilute with water), two ounces mace, one-fourth ounce cloves, one-half
pound salt (Worcester), one teaspoonful red pepper, one nutmeg cut in
slices.
Put in a jar covered with a wet cloth and keep the cloth wet. Place over
a very slow fire, cook as long as the acid is prominent _and no longer_.
Take small wide-mouthed bottles, fill with the mushrooms, pour on the
pickle until the bottle is filled. Tie down tight. (To slice a nutmeg,
boil it in vinegar—slice while hot. Makes of salt vary in strength; the
“Worcester” is a strong salt.)
N.B.—When H. fascicularis is used, wipe the tops with a wet cloth.
_McIlvaine._
TO PICKLE MUSHROOMS. (English style.)
Take buttons and remove butts only. Put into jars and cover with cold,
spiced pickling vinegar. Add a few peppercorns and mustard seeds and
seal hermetically.
_Hay._
MUSHROOM CATCHUP.
Take the opened toadstools, clean carefully, bruise them. Put a layer on
the bottom of an earthen pan, strew salt over them (two tablespoonfuls
to one-fourth peck), another layer, more salt and so on. One-half ounce
cloves, one-half ounce mace, one-half ounce allspice, one-half ounce
whole pepper. Let stand six days. Stir every day. Then put in gentle
oven, cover pan with wet cloth, keep wet, and heat for four hours.
Strain through a fine cloth or sieve. To every gallon of liquor add one
quart red wine. Salt to taste. Add a race or two of ginger cut small.
Strain; let catchup get cold. Pour it from the settlings. Bottle. Cork
tight.
_McIlvaine._
MUSHROOM CATCHUP.
A catchup superior to that sold in the stores may be made at home. Break
the toadstools into bits and place in a stone jar, with an ounce and a
half of salt for every quart of plants. Let stand in a cool place for
three days, stirring several times a day. On the third day put over the
fire, in a porcelain kettle, and heat slowly. In about half an hour the
juice will flow freely, when strain through a hair sieve, return to the
fire and boil twenty minutes. Measure the liquid and to each quart allow
an ounce of ginger root, a blade of mace, a bay leaf, a pinch of
cayenne, and an ounce each of allspice and black pepper; boil down to
one-half the quantity, add a teaspoonful of the best brandy to each
half-pint. Bottle. Cork and seal with wax or rosin.
_Anon._
MUSHROOM CATCHUP. (English style.)
Remove the butts. Sprinkle all with salt. Pile in a bowl. Let them
remain so for three days, stirring occasionally. Then squeeze out all
the liquor. To each gallon of it add cloves and mustard seed, crushed,
of each half an ounce; allspice, peppercorns and ginger, crushed, of
each one ounce. Heat slowly up to boiling point in a covered vessel. Set
aside in a warm place for a fortnight. Then strain and bottle. If the
catchup shows signs of not keeping, add more salt and spice, heat and
proceed as before.
_Hay._
CANNED MUSHROOM SAUCE.
Cook together, until a light brown color, two tablespoonfuls each of
butter and flour, add a can of button mushrooms, with the water it
contains, and a cupful of water or broth. Simmer five minutes, stirring
meanwhile, season and serve. The flavor of the mushroom is more distinct
and pronounced if the sauce is seasoned only with salt and mixed pepper.
If broth is used in the preparation of mushroom sauce instead of water,
it should be the broth of such meat as the sauce is to be served
with—for instance, chicken broth when to be served with chicken, beef
broth when to be served with beef, etc.
_Mrs. Emma P. Ewing._
FRESH MUSHROOM SAUCE.
Put in a graniteware or porcelain-lined saucepan two tablespoonfuls of
butter. When hot add two cups of fresh, prepared mushrooms, cover
closely, and cook briskly two or three minutes. Season to taste with
salt and pepper, and serve with broiled beefsteak, birds, or
sweetbreads.
_Mrs. E.P. Ewing._
TO COOK BOLETI.
Remove the stems, and the tubes unless they are compact and young, or
the dish will be slimy from the tubes. Wipe the caps clean.
TO BROIL.—Put on wire broiler or in a hot buttered pan. Cook well. Add
butter, pepper and salt.
TO STEW.—After cutting the caps in pieces of similar size, stew in a
covered saucepan for twenty minutes. Do not use much water. When done,
add butter, or cream, pepper and salt. Some persons may prefer to add a
little lemon juice or sherry.
TO BAKE.—Bake for half an hour in covered dish, add oil or butter, a
little parsley, and garlic if liked, pepper and salt.
TO FRY.—Remove the tubes from all the caps, excepting of very young or
very short-tubed species. Slice the caps as you would eggplant. Fry in
butter, oil or fat, or dip in batter or in egg crumbs.
_McIlvaine._
B. EDULIS SOUP (as made in Hungary).—Having dried some Boleti in an
oven, soak them in tepid water, thickening with toast bread, till the
whole be of the consistency of a puree, then rub them through a sieve,
throw in some stewed Boleti, boil together, and serve with the usual
condiments.
_Paulet._
TO DRY BOLETI (English method).—Gather in dry weather. Remove stems and
tubes. Wipe clean with a damp cloth. Slice. String the slices. Hang up
in a warm place for two days. Then give them a minute in a moderately
warm oven. Pack in tins with spice. When wanted steep the slices in
tepid water for some hours, till they swell. Then proceed to dress as
for fresh Bolets. The Russians retain the stems and dry their Bolets
whole, stringing them up the stem and through the center of the cap.
_Hay._
TO COOK CANTHARELLUS CIBARIUS.
Cut the mushrooms across and remove the stems; put them into a
closely-covered saucepan with a little fresh butter, and sweat them
until tender, at the lowest possible temperature. A great heat always
destroys the flavor.
_Mrs. Hussey._
Wash, cut into pieces and put into boiling water; then stew with fresh
butter, a little olive oil, chopped tarragon, pepper, salt and a little
lemon peel; when cooked simmer over a slow fire for twenty minutes,
moistening from time to time with beef gravy or cream. When ready to
serve thicken with the yolk of egg.
_M.C. Cooke._
TO FRY.—Dip caps in egg and bread crumbs, season with pepper and salt
and fry in hot butter or oil.
TO STEW.—Cut the whole plant into small pieces across the grain, stew
slowly in a covered saucepan for forty minutes. Add thickened cream or
milk. Use freely of butter and season to taste.
TO ROAST.—Place in a hot dry pan over a slow fire, shake and turn until
the plants are crisp. Butter and season with pepper and salt. A fine
camp dish.
TO PRESERVE FOR WINTER USE.—Pull into strips one-half inch wide, spread
on a piece of mosquito netting and place in the sun or current of warm
air. When dry hang up in small bags or mosquito netting in a dry place.
_McIlvaine._
TO COOK CLAVARIA.
Fry in hot butter, oil or fat until well done; or stew, covered with a
little water, over a slow fire for half an hour. When done add cream or
milk, a little flour, plenty of butter and season with pepper and salt.
Salt last, always, or it will harden the plants.
_McIlvaine._
TO PICKLE (English recipe).—Put the tender parts into jars with
peppercorns, mustard seeds and nasturtium seeds. Pour on them cold white
wine vinegar. Fill up and cork hermetically.
_Hay._
TO COOK CLITOCYBE MULTICEPS.
TO BAKE.—Wash caps, remove stems, let drain for a few minutes; place
gills upward in a pan; place on gills a small-sized lump of butter;
season with pepper and salt; grate cheese over each layer, cover pan,
and place in hot oven to bake for one-half hour.
An exceptionally fine dish. They are excellent fried.
Other species of similar consistency may be cooked in the same way. See
Toadstools with Cheese.
_McIlvaine._
TO COOK COPRINUS.
“In regard to the C. micaceus I find that they are better cooked after
the following recipe:
“Trim the stems, wash the toadstools carefully through several waters,
then drain them in a colander. Spread them out in a long baking pan,
dust lightly with salt, pepper, put over a few bits of butter, cover
with another pan and bake in a moderate oven for twenty-five minutes.
Add four tablespoonfuls of cream, bring to boiling point; dish on toast.
“The C. atramentarius may be cooked in precisely the same manner. I find
that all these inky mushrooms are better cooked in a very slow heat in
the oven, and they must be covered or they lose their flavor.”
_Mrs. S.T. Rorer._
C. comatus, or any other Coprinus, may be treated in the same manner; or
they may be stewed slowly in a covered dish for from five to ten
minutes.
_McIlvaine._
CROQUETTES.
To one pint of any well-cooked toadstool of meaty species, add two
hard-boiled eggs, a sprig of parsley; pepper and salt to taste; chop all
very fine, then take two level tablespoonfuls of butter and one of
flour, put over the fire with the toadstools and eggs; mix thoroughly
together, set aside to cool. When cold, shape, dip in egg and bread
crumbs, and fry in hot oil, butter or fat.
_McIlvaine._
DEVILED TOADSTOOLS.
For deviled toadstools prepare the meat as for patties, adding the yolks
of two hard-boiled eggs to each pint of meat, a pinch of red pepper and
a little chopped parsley. Serve hot or cold in halves of egg shells,
nested among green.
_McIlvaine._
TO COOK FISTULINA HEPATICA.
Mrs. Hussey says of it: “If it is not beef itself, it is sauce for it.”
It can be sliced thin and dressed as a salad with mayonnaise dressing or
otherwise.
The simplest and best way is to cut the fungus into slices as one would
egg-plant. If it is small, slice it into two parts, fry in hot butter,
season with pepper and salt.
Another favorite way is to slice the plant across the grain, cut into
squares of one-half inch and cook very slowly in a covered pan for
twenty minutes. Add a little water, and plenty of butter. Season with
pepper and salt.
The F. hepatica always has a slightly acid taste, which is very
acceptable to most persons, but objectionable to a few.
_McIlvaine._
SALAD.—Cut in thin slices and rub them with garlic. Mingle with lettuce
or other green salad. Dress with oil, vinegar, pepper, mustard and salt.
Serve.
_Hay._
TO BROIL ANY CAPPED FUNGUS.
Select those that are spread open and keep the unopened for other styles
of serving. Cut off the stems close to the tops. Baste well with melted
butter and sprinkle lightly with pepper and salt. Heat the broiler very
hot, lay the caps upon it with the gills up and broil over a clear fire,
turning the broiler first on one side and then on the other. As soon as
tender, which will be in about five minutes, open the broiler, remove
the caps with care, and place on well-buttered slices of the toast which
have been previously prepared. Pour over the whole a sauce made of drawn
butter, or hot water thickened with flour to the consistency of cream.
FRIED TOADSTOOLS.
Take the caps only—one pint—well drained and carefully seasoned with one
teaspoonful of salt, one-half teaspoonful black pepper. Place in a pan
with one ounce of butter (a lump the size of a small egg). Fry slowly
for ten minutes. Add a little milk or cream thickened with flour. Serve
on hot toast.
TO COOK HYDNUM.
In cooking Hydnei care must be taken to cook slowly and well.
Use the tender parts only of stems and caps of the capped species, and
soft, fresh parts of the maned species; cut into small pieces of similar
size, stew slowly in covered saucepan for from thirty to forty minutes,
season with butter, pepper and salt. Serve.
Or, after stewing for forty minutes as above, drain off the water, chop
fine, make into croquettes or into pâtés.
A HUNTER'S TOAST.
Carry a vial of olive oil or a small can of butter, some pepper and salt
mixed. An edible toadstool found, collect a few dry twigs, fire them.
Split a green stick (sassafras, birch or spice-wood best) at one end;
put the toadstool in the cleft, hold it over the fire; oil or butter,
season. Eat from the stick.
_McIlvaine._
TO COOK HYPHOLOMAS.
TO STEW.—Wash the caps, stew slowly in the water which the gills retain,
for half an hour, keeping dish covered. Add plenty of butter, pepper and
salt to taste, add cream or milk with a little thickening.
The Hypholomas have a slightly bitter taste, of which most persons
become very fond; if it is objectionable, add a small amount of lemon
juice or sherry.
_McIlvaine._
H. PERPLEXUM.—Put one dessertspoonful of vinegar in a quart of water.
Soak the caps in this mixture twenty minutes. Then take them out and
stew slowly for half an hour in a covered vessel, adding butter, pepper
and salt to suit the taste. A small quantity of onion is thought by some
to improve the flavor, and a thickening of flour and milk just before
serving is an improvement.
_Prof. C.H. Peck._
The above is given as recipe for cooking H. perplexum. It answers
equally well for the many Hypholomas resembling it.
_McIlvaine._
TO BAKE.—Wash caps, remove stems, let drain for a few minutes, place
gills upward in a pan, place on gills a small-sized lump of butter,
season with pepper and salt, cover pan, and place in oven to bake for
one-half hour.
_McIlvaine._
TO COOK LACTARII.
The rich juices of the Lactarii are best retained by baking. The species
grow hard and granular if cooked rapidly. Baked they are excellent. This
method is preferable to stewing, but no one will despise a properly made
stew of them.
TO COOK MARASMIUS OREADES.
Remove the stems, wash the caps, place in a covered saucepan and simmer
for thirty minutes, adding sufficient water to prevent scorching; add a
little milk or cream, butter and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Or, simply fry in butter, make a gravy and season to taste.
TO DRY.—String the caps on threads and loop up in a dry place, and when
thoroughly dry place in tight glass jars or tin cases.
TO COOK THE MORELL—MORCHELLA (from Persoon).
1. Having washed and cleansed them from the earth which is apt to
collect between the plaits or hollows of the plant, dry thoroughly in a
napkin and put them into a saucepan with pepper, salt and parsley,
adding or not a piece of ham. Stew for an hour, pouring in occasionally
a little broth to prevent burning. When sufficiently done, bind with the
yolks of two or three eggs and serve on buttered toast.
2. MORELLES A L'ITALIENNE.—Having washed and dried, divide them across,
put them on the fire with some parsley, scallion, chevril, burnet,
tarragon, chives, a little salt, and two spoonfuls of fine oil. Stew
till the juices run out, then thicken with a little flour; serve with
bread crumbs and a squeeze of lemon juice.
PÂTÉS.
The toadstools good for croquettes and pâtés are such as the Puff-balls,
Lactarii, Gomphidius rhodoxanthus, Fistulina hepatica, Tricholoma
personatum and many others of the meaty kinds. Cut the toadstools into
small pieces, cook slowly until tender, adding butter, pepper and salt.
Let them cook almost dry, then add cream or milk and thickening. Fill
pastry shells and serve.
_McIlvaine._
A pretty effect is produced by dipping the rims of the shells in
partially beaten white of egg, then in finely-chopped parsley before
filling.
TO COOK PLEUROTUS OSTREATUS.
Remove tough stem-part, if any, and use only such parts of the plants as
seem fresh and tender.
TO STEW.—Cut in small pieces across the grain. Stew twenty minutes over
slow fire with a little water. Add cream or milk with a little
thickening; season with butter, pepper, salt.
TO FRY.—Cut into pieces about the size of a medium-sized oyster, dip in
egg and bread crumbs, and fry in hot butter or oil, as oysters are
fried.
_McIlvaine._
WITH CHEESE—_au gratin._—Cut into medium-sized pieces. Stew slowly,
rather dry, for fifteen minutes. Pour off liquor; save it. Place in
baking dish (or in individual dishes, clam shells, etc.) a layer of
ostreatus, buttering and seasoning each layer, sprinkle with bread
crumbs and grated cheese and so on until dish is filled, placing cheese
on top. Pour liquor over the dish. Place in slow oven and bake until
well browned.
This manner of cooking is a favorite. Any toadstool may be cooked in
this way.
_McIlvaine._
Wash. Put them into a chafing dish with one ounce of butter to each half
pound of plant. Sprinkle over half a teaspoonful of salt, cover the dish
and cook slowly for five minutes. Beat the yolks of two eggs with one
gill of good milk, lift the lid, add the mixture of eggs and milk; when
smoking hot serve. Do not allow the mixture to boil or the eggs will
become curdled.
RECIPE NO. 2.—Wash. Dust with salt and pepper, dip in egg, then in bread
crumbs and fry quickly in smoking hot olive oil.
The following recipe was given me by a chef:
“Put into the saucepan a tablespoonful of butter, add a clove of garlic,
a thin slice of onion, stir until slightly brown and add a tablespoonful
of flour. Mix carefully, add a quarter of a teaspoonful of beef extract
dissolved in half a cup of water and the same quantity of cream. Bring
to boiling point, add a tablespoonful of chopped carrot, a bay leaf, and
a blade of mace. Stand the mixture on the back part of the stove where
it will scarcely boil, for ten minutes. Strain and add half a pound of
ostreatus. Cover and cook for ten minutes. Serve on toast.”
_Mrs. S.T. Rorer._
TO COOK PUFF-BALLS.
TO FRY.—Remove the thin outer rind, slice, dip in egg and bread crumbs,
and fry as egg-plant; serve without tomato sauce.
TO STEW.—Cut in dice-shaped pieces, stew for fifteen minutes in a little
water, pour off the water, dust with a little flour, add a small
quantity of milk or cream, butter, pepper and salt and a little parsley.
Stew slowly for five minutes. Serve. These also may be served in pâtés.
When these are broken open they should be perfectly white inside; any
stains or yellow part should be removed, otherwise they will be bitter.
_McIlvaine._
SALADS.—Cut into strips, mingle with mustard and cress, or with blanched
dandelions, scallions and hard-boiled egg, and dress as ordinarily for a
salad. Or, amalgamate with potato salad a l'Allemande.
_Hay._
TO COOK TRICHOLOMA PERSONATUM.
TO STEW.—Wash and cut into small pieces. Stew for thirty minutes. Pour
off the water, add milk slightly thickened, butter, pepper, salt and a
little chopped parsley.
_McIlvaine._
TO STEW THE TOUGHER TOADSTOOLS.
(Hydnaceæ, Polyporaceæ, Etc.)
Cut into small pieces of even size. Soak for half an hour in tepid
water. Remove from water, do not drain; place in covered pan and simmer
for forty minutes. Add proper proportion of thickened milk or cream,
butter, pepper, salt.
Those who like may add parsley or nutmeg, or beef gravy; in fact, any
flavoring.
_McIlvaine._
SALADS.
Many species of fungi make good salads. The best of these are, Russulæ
when young, fresh and firm; either sliced raw or stewed and drained;
Clitocybe multiceps stewed and drained; Tricholoma personatum, raw or
stewed; Clitopilus prunulus, raw or stewed; Coprinus comatus, C.
micaceus, atramentarius, raw; Clavaria, fresh, young, brittle, either
raw or stewed; Fistulina hepatica, raw; any of the edible Polyporaceæ,
after stewing; any of the edible Hydnaceæ after stewing; the puff-balls,
raw or stewed. Any favorite species will make a salad.
After cooking allow to drain and cool; then mix with mayonnaise
dressing, or make a dressing to taste of oil, vinegar, salt and pepper.
Serve on lettuce.
SOUP.
Dame Nature never made a soup. Soup is a human invention of more or less
distinctiveness. Usually it is a successful disguise or covering of
invisibility for something which furnishes the name.
To make two quarts of a distinctly fungoid soup take one quart of any
edible toadstools, carefully cleaned. Put in a well-covered boiler with
three pints of water, and boil slowly for one hour. Rub the whole
through a colander. Reject that which does not rub through readily. Add
one-half pint of milk thickened with one tablespoonful of flour, one
ounce of butter, a dessertspoonful of salt, a teaspoonful of pepper.
Bring to a boil. Serve.
Any chosen thing or things may be added to the above—the toadstools can
not resent it.
_McIlvaine._
TOADSTOOLS WITH CHEESE.
Several varieties of fungi are delicious when baked with a small
quantity of cheese grated upon them; notably Clitocybe multiceps, the
Hypholomas, Armillarias, Pleurotus ulmarius and ostreatus, Lentinus
lepideus and many Boleti. See recipe for baking. When several layers of
plants compose the dish, cheese should be grated on each layer.
_McIlvaine._
BAKED TOADSTOOLS OF ANY GILLED KIND.
Wash, place the caps in a tightly covered dish or pan after dipping them
in bread crumbs. Lay them in layers, with a small piece of butter on
each toadstool, as well as the proper amount of pepper and salt. Bake
from twenty to forty minutes as suits the consistency of the species.
Serve on toast.
Or, the caps prepared as above, may be laid upon pieces of toast and
placed in the pan. If this plan is adopted the lower pieces of toast
become saturated with the liquor; therefore, in serving, cut from top to
bottom of dish.
See To Cook Clitocybe Multiceps.
_McIlvaine._
A CAMP BAKE.
Cover the bottom of a tin plate with caps, spore surface up. Sprinkle
with salt and pepper, place a bit of butter on each. Put another tin
plate on top. Set on coals or a heated stone for fifteen minutes. Eat.
No better baking will result in the best oven.
_McIlvaine._
------------------------------------------------------------------------
GLOSSARY
A-, prefixed signifies absence; as _aseptate_, without septa.
ABBREVIATIONS: cm. = centimeter.
mm. = millimeter.
µ = micron.
in. = inch.
´ = inch or inches.
″ = line(1⁄12 inch) or lines.
nov. gen. = new genus.
n. sp. = new species.