I left the trail to scrabble through waist high ferns, pushing aside pesky branches as I climbed. A hundred feet up the tangle gave way to a sparse grove studded here and there with massive stumps from old growth trees long gone. These giants of the landscape – each one the size of a small house – stood in quiet tribute to a forest that once was.
Down on the ground, the duff is cushion-like and scuffs easily. Its very softness is why I’m here: under this airy layer of pine needles, decaying wood, leaves and soft mosses is where the mushrooms are. I walk carefully, peering at every crevice on the forest floor that might be the leading edge of a mushroom cap.
And then on the far side of a fallen log I saw the tell-tale glint of creamy orange. Five ears pushed at the duff, straining together toward filtered sunlight. With a bit of careful lifting on my part and a few well-placed swipes of my trusty knife I soon had them freed. It was a sight to behold: five fat chanterelles, the first of the season, pale and lovely on the forest floor.
As I lifted my sack and wandered off into the forest, my heart lightened with anticipation. Oh, yeah, I said to myself. There’s going to be feasting at Chez Bullhog tonight!
Wild Mushroom Linguine with Chanterelles and Arugula
Makes 3-4 servings
6 ounces fresh chanterelles, brushed clean
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, quartered
Half of a medium onion, coarsely diced
1 Tablespoon of olive oil
1 Tablespoon of butter
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 Tablespoon of dried porcini mushroom, broken into bits
¾ cup boiling water
1 Tablespoon of flour
10 ounces fresh linguine, cooked and drained
2 cups of arugula
¼ cup of grated Parmesan (optional)
- Break chanterelles into 1 inch pieces and into segments for the larger mushroom heads. Sauté half a chopped onion in a tablespoon each of olive oil and butter until translucent, about 5 minutes over medium heat, and then add the chanterelle pieces. Turn the heat to low and add the quartered cremini mushrooms. Gently sauté for a further 5 minutes or more, until the mushrooms are cooked through but not flabby. Remove from the heat.
- Meanwhile, pour boiling water over the porcini pieces and let stew in a ramekin or coffee cup for 15-20 minutes. This will yield a heady ‘tea’. After steeping, remove any mushroom pieces that feel hard and add the soft bits to the sautéed mushrooms, but save the liquid.
- In a second ramekin or coffee cup, mix a tablespoon of flour with a tablespoon of hot mushroom tea. Add small amounts of the tea, stirring all the time to keep it lump-free, until you have added it all.
- Bring sufficient water to a boil and cook 10 ounces of fresh linguine according to package directions.
- Three minutes before the pasta is finished, bring the mushrooms back to a simmer and add the enhanced mushroom tea to the pan. Stir constantly until the mushroom mixture is bubbly and the sauce thickens slightly. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Divide the pasta among 3 or 4 bowls, sprinkle on a little olive oil and top each with a handful of arugula. Put portions of mushrooms and sauce directly onto the arugula, top with parmesan if desired, and bring piping hot to the table. Yum!
Mushroom Sense: For those in the know, chanterelles are relatively easy to identify. Before you head out to find your own, however, it’s recommended that you take a mushroom hunting class. Here in Seattle, you can contact the Puget Sound Mycological Association for info.
Looks wonderful.
Mmm looks good and healthy too, I wanna try this one but I’m having a problem searching for that kind of mushroom because it isn’t available in our town. Can I just use an ordinary mushroom and it would be affect the taste? Thank you very much.
I really love cooking with mushrooms. This looks delicious!
What a wonderful meal! I’m an absolute mushroom lover so, I know this would be something I’d love to eat!
All of my favorite ingredients … Oh my 🙂
I see this being made in the very near future!
What a great tale! You have a very good storytelling voice and your dish looks delicious.
These mushrooms look delicious! Interesting recipe! I already saved it in my favorite list.
At the end of the month I hope to go on a mushroom hunt. It must be so satisfying to find and collect your own for your feast.
Yum. This recipe looks scrumptious. I’ve never gone on a mushroom hunt before but now I’m intrigued.
I am a mushroom lover and this dish is delicious 🙂 Thanks for sharing the recipe. How nice that you get to do your own mushroom hunting and cooked them for the family:) Nice one !
What fun! I wish I was knowledgeable enough to go foraging mushrooms! I’m not, so I make a similar dish using Shitake/Crimini and hazelnuts to make for a nutty flavour along with broken spaghetti fideos that get a browning in some olive oil … will be posting it in the next few days.
Your trek in the woods sounded like a fun treasure hunt! Great post!
What an awesome find. I have been seeing tons of fresh mushrooms growing while mountain biking recently and wished I knew more about them to know which to pick and which to let be! I’d be the lucky one on the harmless shroom trip because I got all curious on the mountain bike trail… I can just see that one now…
Your creation looks perfect though, a wonderful use for those fresh treasures.