A pan of chanterelles sautéed over an open flame, a creamy morel sauce, or a rich matsutake broth: there's no shortage of recipes when it comes to cooking dried wild mushrooms . If you'd like to know how to prepare them, grab your notebook and pen, and we'll share our best tips.
Dried wild mushrooms: usage tips
Wild mushrooms are harvested from May to October and then dehydrated: they can be enjoyed year-round. Lightweight and compact, they easily fit in a bag for a weekend camping trip or a stay at the cabin. A simple way to prepare dehydrated wild mushrooms is to use them as is. Once ground into a powder using a spice grater, you can sprinkle it on your dishes or incorporate it into a spice blend of your choice. This blend can be used as a dry rub for meat or fish, as seen here in our Nordic rub chicken drumsticks .
If you wish to cook dried wild mushrooms like fresh ones, we recommend rehydrating them in very hot liquid for about twenty minutes, then draining them. They should regain their pliable texture: feel free to shorten or lengthen the soaking time depending on the mushroom variety and the liquid temperature. Be careful not to soak them for too long; their texture should remain soft but firm.
After rehydrating the mushrooms, the soaking liquid should be strained through a fine-mesh sieve or filtered using a coffee filter. This is an important step because mushrooms are a product of the undergrowth: they may contain impurities despite the vigilance of our foragers. In this regard, we advise you to give the rehydrated morels and black trumpets a second soak. This will dislodge any remaining impurities hidden in their crevices. Simply stir them quickly in a bowl of water and repeat the process until the water runs clear.
Ideas for rehydrating wild mushrooms
We suggest rehydrating the mushrooms with, for example:
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Water. Simple but effective, water flavored with the mushroom can serve as a base for a dashi broth or a meat stock;
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Broth. Why not rehydrate the mushroom in vegetable or chicken broth to enhance its flavor?
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Cream. Whether it's 15% cream or plant-based cream, it will make a delicious, mushroom-flavored base. Your next creamy pumpkin pasta or Sunday morning scrambled eggs will be all the better for it!
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Red wine. Perfect for flavoring the marinade wine for braised beef;
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Beer. The combination of wild mushrooms and beer, whether a lager or red ale, is a winning formula! Consider it for a marinade for spare ribs or a mussel dish; it's delicious.
Once removed from their soaking bath and drained, the mushrooms are ready to be incorporated into your recipes. You can use them whole, finely sliced, or diced. It's essential to use the soaking liquid, which is concentrated in flavor, in your recipe, or to save it for later use. It can be kept in the refrigerator for a few days or easily frozen.
Now it's your turn to have fun in the kitchen with wild mushrooms: find here our 10 recipe ideas, for even more Nordic flavor on your plate !
