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In order to take advantage of the favors of autumn, Les Artisans du Couteau have concocted a little activity that will delight young and old alike.
Autumn is the ideal season for picking mushrooms. This pastime is increasingly popular because it allows you to enjoy nature, share educational moments with your family, and have the pleasure of cooking with fresh products.
Step 1: Mushroom picking
The place
Mushrooms generally grow abundantly in forests, thanks to the presence of trees and a humid atmosphere. We therefore advise you to go to a public forest where mushroom picking is authorized if it is done in moderation (< 5L per person per day). The ideal is to go there on a sunny day, 2 or 3 days after a rainy episode.
Accessories
Bring your coat and your pair of boot. Don't forget your container to collect the mushrooms you have picked. The basket is ideal because it allows the mushrooms to continue to breathe.
For security reasons, check that your mobile phone is fully charged and, in the absence of a guide, bring a book that will allow you to identify the different species and therefore avoid the poisonous ones. Your phone could also be useful for recognizing species. However, there is nothing like a confirmed companion in this hobby or going to a pharmacist after your picking. Little tip! Go to the pharmacist near the forest, he will probably have more knowledge.
Finally, take your curved knife with a small brush that will be useful for cleaning the mushrooms.
Sample
Before picking a mushroom, make sure it is not poisonous. Only pick mushrooms that are fully grown and in good condition. Leave the smaller ones in place, as well as the old ones or those that are damaged, that have suffered from freezing.
Using the curved blade of your mushroom knife, cut the base of the mushroom at ground level. Cutting off the stem allows the forest to produce new mushrooms. You can clean it as soon as you pick it with the brush located at the end of the mushroom knife. The back of the blades is usually equipped with small teeth to scrape the fungi on which the dirt is more encrusted.
Step 2: Cook the Mushrooms
Cleaning
Prepare your mushrooms quickly after picking because they are fragile. The same day is ideal and maximum 48 hours after harvest. Remove the dirtiest parts using your mushroom knife or your typical kitchen knife paring knife for optimal maneuverability.
Just like precious knives, mushrooms are afraid of water. Their porous material causes them to clog quickly and their juices become diluted. If necessary, rub them with a damp cloth, or even pass them under running water, then wipe them.
Storage
Some species of mushrooms can be dried, which extends their shelf life to one year while preserving their nutritional qualities. Example of the mushroom species concerned:
- Ceps
- Chillers
- Morels
- Mousserons
- Oyster mushrooms
To dehydrate the mushrooms, string them with a string and hang them for 2 weeks in a well-ventilated room. airy. Then place them in an airtight container. It is also possible to dry them by cooking them in an oven at a very low temperature for a few hours.
For dehydrated foods to regain their shape, simply soak them for a few hours in lukewarm water. It is also possible to reduce the dehydrated mushrooms to a powder and sprinkle the dishes with it.
Boning also allows the preservation of the mushrooms.
Preparation
Most mushrooms are eaten cooked. The best way is to sweat them in a pan. Les Artisans du Couteau offers you a recipe that reveals the taste of meat: Sauce Chasseur! Bring the best sharp kitchen knives.
Ingredients
for 4 people:
- 100 g button mushrooms, finely sliced
- 2 shallots, finely chopped
- 40 grams butter
- 1 glass of dry white wine
- 15 cl brown stock, preferably veal stock (you can also find it on the market)
- 1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley and tarragon, chopped
- Salt and pepper
Preparation of the sauce chasseur
- Fry the 100g of mushrooms in 20g of butter for 1 or 2 minutes in a pan over medium heat
- Add the 2 shallots and cook the for 1 min
- Drain the mushrooms and shallots and put them back in the pan
- Add the white wine and reduce by half before adding the veal stock
- Cu Cook for 10 minutes
- Off the heat, stir in 0g of butter, the parsley and tarragon
- Mix everything
- Salt and pepper to taste
This sauce will go perfectly with game such as deer. Les Artisans du Couteau also offers its range of hunting knives to prepare game with the greatest respect for the animal and the environment.
Essential knives:
Step 3: Tasting your dish
All that remains is to set your table to enjoy your culinary preparation in the best conditions. A wide range of cutlery sets is available to you. Rather traditional or anti-conformist? You will inevitably find the housewife you need. It is also possible to create your own sets with our table cutlery sold individually. Dare to mix colors, even shapes, to impress your guests!
To cut your noble meat with grace, Les Artisans du Couteau offers you a wide range of magnificent steak knives such as the 9.47, the Laguiole table knife, Le Thiers, the Opinel table knife or many other knives with character.
