As I'm sure will be no surprise to any regular readers of this blog, when I have a chance to sample a mushroom product, I always take it! I recently had a chance to try FungusAmongUs dried porcini, chanterelles, and porcini salt, and used them to create the recipes below. If you're interested in FungusAmongUs, you can visit the FungusAmongUs website or take advantage of a Facebook deal they're running now for $10 truffle products. Or, stay tuned for a giveaway coming up on the blog where you can win a FungusAmongUs sample! Disclaimer: The products reviewed on this post were provided free of charge by FungusAmongUs. No other financial ties exist between the blogger and FungusAmongUs.
Grilled Cheese for Grownups
1 cibatta loaf
3 slices baby Swiss cheese
1 oz dried porcini mushrooms, snipped
a splash of red wine
olive oil
a pinch of porcini salt
mayonnaise
I've been wanting to get my hands on some dried porcini mushrooms for ages, so I was thrilled to try this jazzed-up grilled cheese with porcini and Swiss. You could do this with a fancier cheese, too. I simmered the dried porcini in water first, then added some Cabernet once the water cooked off. Next, I tossed in some olive oil and dried herbs, along with a pinch of the FungusAmongUs porcini salt. After cleaning out the skillet, I assembled the sandwich on cibatta, using a portion of the mushroom filling, plus a spread of mayo and the cheese. I generously buttered the outside of the sandwich to grill, getting a good dark crisp on the outside. The mushrooms had a nice dark, earthy flavor, a good compliment to the mild cheese.
Chanterelle, Sundried Tomato, and Mozzarella Omelet
2 eggs
generous splash of milk
salt and pepper
1/2 oz dried chanterelles
handful of sundried tomatoes
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella
a few chives
This was a somewhat less successful experiment, though I do know the reason. I reconstituted the chanterelles in hot water, but didn't cook them before adding them to the cooking eggs in the pan. The best thing to do would be to chop them up very small and sautee, then toss in the omelet with the cheese and tomatoes. The texture of the chanterelles is less appealing to me than the porcini, though I think they'd be a good addition to a soup or stew.
Chanterelle and Sundried Tomato Couscous
1/2 oz dried chanterelles
handful sundried tomatoes
1 cup dry couscous
olive oil
With the leftovers from the omelet, I made a somewhat more successful dinner. This is very simple--cook the couscous with olive oil and sea salt, then toss with sundried tomatoes, sauteed chanterelles, the olive oil from the sauteeing, and a bit more salt.
