Wild Foraged Black Trumpet Mushrooms

These small mushrooms pack an amazingly rich wallop of flavor – smoky, fruity, dry, almost parmesan-like. They pair well with anything you would associate with white wine: scallops, chicken, veal, pasta, cheese, cream sauce, and any sort of French cuisine. Try them on a pizza with white sauce, arugula, and prosciutto, or toss them into risotto. They make a good companion to hedgehog mushrooms, since both share an apricot-like fruitiness.

PREPARATION: Clean them well. Trim the foot, split them down the side, and rinse or wipe out the inside of the trumpet’s funnel. Toss them in melted butter, and sauté briefly (2- 4 minutes). It helps to cook them separately before adding them to your dish, to prevent their dark color from staining the rest of your meal. Black Trumpets have an impressive shelf-life – they will stay fresh in the refrigerator for two to three weeks!