Mushrooms can be far more than just a side dish: They bring umami, distinctive flavors and surprising variety to the kitchen - and not just in fall. In his first cookbook 'Pilze Pilze Pilze' (DK Verlag, available from July 27), Moritz Schmid, one of Germany's best-known mushroom experts, shows how versatile these fascinating forest plants can be. With over 80 vegetarian recipes, he takes readers on a culinary journey of discovery - from appetizer to dessert. Here are three recipes that show how exciting the world of mushrooms can be.
Pulled Oyster Mushrooms on Paprika-Harissa Cream
Ingredients for the paprika-harissa cream: 2 carrots, oil or butter for frying, 2 onions, 2 garlic cloves, 1-2 tbsp tomato paste, 100 ml white wine, salt, pepper, ½ tsp harissa paste, 3 red bell peppers
Pulled oyster mushrooms: 300-350 g oyster mushrooms, 4 eggs, salt, breadcrumbs as needed, oil for frying, chopped parsley for garnish
Preparation: Peel the carrots and cut into small pieces. In a pan with some oil or butter, roast vigorously over medium heat. Peel and finely chop the onions and garlic. Add to the carrots and sauté until translucent. Stir in the tomato paste and briefly sauté as well, then deglaze with the wine. Season with salt, pepper and harissa. Wash the bell peppers, remove seeds and roughly chop, then add to the pan and steam for about 5 minutes until soft. Then purée everything in a blender or with an immersion blender and return the cream to the pan. Simmer gently over low heat for about 15 minutes until the consistency is right, then adjust seasoning.
Pull the oyster mushrooms into coarse strips and place in a bowl. Whisk the eggs and add them, salt and mix everything well. Then fold in enough breadcrumbs so that the mushroom strips are well coated all around. Heat plenty of oil in a pan to 170-180 °C. Fry the breaded oyster mushrooms in batches until golden brown. Drain briefly on paper towels.
Spread the paprika-harissa cream on plates, place the crispy oyster mushrooms on top and garnish with parsley.
Chanterelles alla Carbonara
Ingredients: 5 eggs (size M), 120 g Pecorino Romano, coarsely ground black pepper, salt, 240 g tagliatelle, 200 g chanterelles, canola oil, 25 g butter, 1 garlic clove, olive oil
Preparation: Crack the eggs into a bowl and mix well with 2 level tbsp freshly grated Pecorino, pepper and salt.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, lightly salt it and cook the tagliatelle in it according to package instructions until al dente.
Meanwhile, sear the cleaned chanterelles in a hot pan with some canola oil over high heat, after 1-2 minutes reduce the heat, add the butter and the peeled and pressed garlic and continue frying until the mushrooms are golden brown. Remove the garlic.
As soon as the tagliatelle is done, transfer it directly with a fork from the water into the pan with the chanterelles, adding some pasta water if needed. Remove the pan from the heat, immediately stir the egg mixture into the hot noodles. This prevents the eggs from curdling and creates a creamy but not liquid consistency.
Mix the chanterelles into the pasta and stir in coarsely ground pepper to taste. Finally, drizzle some olive oil over the pasta and grate the remaining Pecorino on top.
Tip: If the chanterelles are heavily soiled, it's best to rinse them several times in warm water, then dust them with flour and gently rinse with cold water. Then dry well or place in a 50 °C oven for 20-30 minutes.
Crème Brûlée with Porcini Mushroom
Ingredients: 200 g cream, 100 ml milk, 60 g brown sugar, 4-5 g dried porcini mushrooms, 1 sprig fresh rosemary, 3 egg yolks, fresh blackberries for garnish
Preparation: Place cream, milk and 35 g sugar in a pot. Add mushrooms and rosemary and carefully bring everything to a simmer over medium heat. Stir regularly to prevent the milk from sticking. Remove the pot from the heat and let the mixture steep for 30 minutes.
Then pour through a sieve, discard mushrooms and rosemary. Let the milk-cream mixture cool to room temperature. Thoroughly whisk in the egg yolks and pour the mixture through a fine sieve into small ovenproof molds.
Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Place the molds in a large, shallow pan and add enough boiling water so that the molds are about halfway submerged in water. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake the crème in the oven for 30-40 minutes until set but still slightly wobbly when you move the molds.
Remove the molds from the water bath and ideally refrigerate the crème overnight. Before serving, sprinkle with the remaining sugar and caramelize with a crème brûlée torch. Garnish with fresh blackberries and serve immediately.
