Kings of the Dark and Damp

The cultivation of mushrooms, which had been practiced in France since the 17th Century, experienced a boom during the Napoleonic era. Mushroom farms sprang up in abandoned quarry tunnels on the outskirts of Paris--I once had friends who lived in a converted mushroom farm right in the center of Paris, next to what is now Joe Allen Restaurant. The loft-like space was unbearably dark and damp, better for the cultivation of mushrooms than friendly conversation.

Mushrooms are saprophytes; that is, they live off the remains of other organisms. They do not photosynthesize sugars like green plants, so they can survive perfectly well without sunlight. Often they grow at the base of trees, from whose roots they extract the necessary sugars. But as they say, there’s no free lunch, and mushrooms give trees soil minerals in return for their sugars.

Other than the common cultivated mushroom, certain highly prized wild species have always been popular visitors to the dinner table during the damp spring and autumn months, such as ribbed, pale orange chanterelles and honeycomb-capped morels. Common in Europe, but more difficult to find here except in dried form, is the famous boletus edulis-- called porcini in Italy, cepe in France.

Two Asian mushroom varieties have become common in recent years--the meaty, dark shiitake and the pale, astringent oyster or pleurotte mushroom. Both have been cultivated successfully, although shiitake are still rather expensive. The most highly prized Japanese mushroom is the matsutake. It has a perfumed taste and a meaty texture.

Traditional cooking has employed mushrooms more as a condiment than as a food. This is a happy coincidence, since mushrooms are poor in nutrition. They are very rich, though, in glutamic acid and are thus a natural source of MSG. They add their own intense flavor to soups and sauces and can save bland vegetables dishes.

Mushrooms change composition after being harvested and storing them tightly wrapped in the refrigerator only hastens spoilage. Purchase only the whitest cultivated mushrooms and use them as quickly as possible. When choosing chanterelles, look for ones with a solid texture, neither mushy nor wet. Shiitake should have dark, plump caps with white undersides. Remove the stringy stems. Oyster mushrooms should be white with unbroken caps. Trim the stems, which are bitter except on the very small mushrooms.

Prepare this soup with cultivated mushrooms or a combination of cultivated and specialty mushrooms.

MUSHROOM SOUP

1/4 cup unsalted butter

2 medium onions, finely minced, about 2 cups

1 3/4 pounds mushrooms, sliced

1 cup dry Sherry or Madeira

2 tablespoons freshly chopped thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried

1 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons flour

4 cups milk

1 cup whipping cream

Melt butter in 2-quart pot over medium heat. Add onions and cook covered, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes or until onions are tender.

Add mushrooms, replace cover and continue to cook another 10 minutes. Add Sherry, thyme, salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle onion-mushroom mixture with flour and cook, stirring, about 1 minute.

Add milk and cream, cover and simmer additional 10 minutes. Do not let soup come to rolling boil or milk will curdle. Serve piping hot soup immediately. Makes 6 servings.

OPEN-FACE MUSHROOM AND BRIE SANDWICHES

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 cups trimmed assorted mushrooms such as shiitake, oyster, chanterelle, morel and cultivated

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 cup finely diced onion

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon water

Salt, pepper

2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

4 slices country bread

4 slices Brie cheese

Heat olive oil in skillet and add mushrooms, garlic, onion, vinegar, water, salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook 3 minutes. Remove cover and cook until mushrooms are tender, another 5 minutes. Remove from heat, transfer mushrooms to bowl and add parsley.

Toast or grill bread. Place bread on baking sheet and top with mushrooms. Place piece of cheese on top and place under broiler until melted. Serve immediately. Makes 4 sandwiches.

MUSHROOM PASTA

1 1/2 pounds assorted trimmed mushrooms

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon finely minced garlic

1 tablespoon finely minced shallots or onion

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup Sherry or Madeira

1/2 cup whipping cream

12 ounces fresh pasta or 8 ounces dried

Grated cheese

Wipe mushrooms if necessary to remove any sand or dirt. Slice chanterelles and cultivated mushrooms, trim and discard stems of shiitake mushrooms, trim and discard root tips of oyster mushrooms.

Bring 4 quarts of cold, salted water to boil over high heat on stove.

Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat and add mushrooms, garlic, shallots and salt. Cook, stirring, 15 minutes.

Add Sherry, increase heat to high and cook 2 minutes. Add whipping cream and cook until liquid reduces to sauce-like consistency and is thick enough to coat spoon. Remove from heat and keep in warm place until pasta is finished cooking.

Add pasta to boiling water, cook until desired doneness, drain and toss with mushrooms. Place on serving platter or in large serving bowl and serve immediately. Serve with grated cheese. Makes 4 servings.