The Mushroom - Versatile or Villainous

How I wish we had the services of the European pharmacists, where you can take your wild mushrooms to the local chemist and they will let you know which are edible.

Many a good TV murder mystery has centred around a chef cooking up some wrongly identified fungi which results in a poisoning.

I remember the beautiful basket of mushrooms named “Destroying Angel” (right) in Midsummer Murders, I think there were four poisoning/murders in that episode.

After reading that only 3% of wild mushrooms are fit for human consumption, my dreams of foraging through the woods for delicious fungi is too risky, I don’t want to give my family or cooking school guests a stomach ache or hallucinations. 

Of the 120,000 species of mushrooms recorded in history only 1,841 have been recognised as being edible.

Delicious, low in fat and packed with nutrients, mushrooms come in many varieties and are a highly versatile ingredient.
Sensitive to light and temperature, mushrooms grow on decaying matter or in harmony with living plants and trees.

The first cultivated mushrooms were the Champignons of Paris, which were grown in caves filled with horse manure around the city. Mushrooms have long been prized in history by high society as a delicacy.

Today there are still a few varieties in Europe and Asia, such as the morel and matsutake, which remain an indulgence on any menu. Even so, most introduced varieties cultivated in Australia are affordable, accessible and fast becoming more than just 'meat for vegetarians'.

We are spoilt for choice with mushroom selection at the green grocer, we can choose from so many specialty mushrooms such as Oyster (below left, which is now available in white, beige, pink or yellow), Shitake, Portobello, Shimeiji, Swiss Brown, Enoki (bottom right), Matsuke, Chestnut, Pine and Slippery Jacks.

The common white mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) comes in a range of different shapes, sizes, flavours and textures, because it is picked and sold at different stages of its growth.

It’s useful to know which uses best suit button mushrooms, which are best for cups and which for flats, since each of these will give a different result.

You can always be certain of finding white Agaricus mushrooms at your supermarket or fruit market. Modern growing techniques mean these mushrooms are available all year, so there’s never any reason to do without them.

Cup Mushrooms are mushrooms whose veil has just begun to open around the stem. They are deeper in colour and flavour than buttons, with a firm texture, and absolutely tops for versatility.

Great to sauté, stuff, grill or barbecue. Cup mushrooms can be used whole, quartered, or sliced in soups, sauces, casseroles and stir-fries.

Button mushrooms (right) are the youngest type and are tightly closed around the stem. While Buttons are usually the smallest white mushroom type, this is not guaranteed – the name refers to the shape and stage of growth, not the size.

Buttons (sometimes called Champignons) have a wonderful, delicate flavour and a fine texture.

Button mushrooms are perfect to use raw in salads or with dips, and they look sensational skewered for the barbecue.

They readily take on other flavours, and suit pasta dishes and stir-fries. Kids love them crumbed or tempura style.

Flat mushrooms are the most mature kind and intensely-flavoured of the three white Agaricus stages.

Their robust flavour is similar to that of Field mushrooms (left). They have a dense, meaty texture and darker gills than the other Agaricus types.

Flats are almost a meal in on their own and lend themselves to simple treatments and spectacular presentation.

Try Flat mushrooms pan-fried with fresh herbs, or topped with crispy bacon, tomato and cheese for a grilled mushroom pizza, or use as the “patty” in a burger. Yum!

Recently on “Master Chef” the contestants were asked to cook a meal that they could eat if stuck on a desert island for the rest of their lives.

I didn’t have to think too hard as to what my selection would be; Mushrooms of course! 

My favourite way of cooking them is a mixture of two or three varieties sautéed in a knob* of butter, with salt and pepper then sprinkled with chopped parsley. 

If I wanted to get a bit fancier, then I would drizzle some truffle oil over them while they are cooking to intensify the flavour.

Another tip is to make mushroom salt by grinding dried Porcinis with salt in a mortar and pestle or a food processor and using it to give an even further flavour boost instead of regular salt.

And my favourite Witches Falls Pinot Noir to accompany it.

Mushrooms. Photos from Wikipedia.