”A couple of weeks ago, I stumbled upon hedgehog fungus, wood blewits, winter chanterelles, and horn of plenty. These mushrooms are synonymous with the end of autumn and the onset of winter. The winter chanterelle, in particular, is frost-hardy, so we can expect to enjoy its delightful taste for some time.
GeorgeFlavour Fred
To preserve these mushrooms, I smoked them overnight and then cooked them in oil. The result was a truly delectable dish. If you’ve joined my walks recently, you may have tried them on various tasters and dishes, such as the flatbreads shown at Oxmoor Farm. You guys truly outdid yourselves with them!
I used a makeshift smoker made from a firestove and chimenea, along with the smoke generator from ProqSmokers. This setup is ideal for cold smoking and allows me to place the mushrooms in vessels that absorb some of the smokiness. After cleaning the mushrooms, I stacked them and left them overnight. The following day, I cooked them confit (“to preserve”) in oil for 5 hours at 120 degrees Celsius. The smoke and the mushroominess complemented each other perfectly, enhanced by the addition of a bay leaf, garlic, and some seasoning.
The leftover oil will be used for cooking, sauces, aioli, and more. It has a delightful aroma reminiscent of mushroom bacon. Each mushroom has its unique flavour, and this blend works exceptionally well.
The wood blewits have a particularly interesting bacon-like flavour. The peppery winter chanterelle, the meaty hedgehog, and the slight spicing on the black trompette have made this process a yearly must.
