Parasol

This is the perfect beginner's mushroom - unmistakeable and delicious . . .

Most Britons are scared of toadstools, terrified of making a fatal mistake, but the parasol (Macrolepiota procera) is the perfect entry to the gastronomic paradise of wild fungi. This is one of Britain’s most delicious and distinctive mushrooms: common, unmistakeable and superb to eat.
Parasols grow in late summer and early autumn in unimproved pasture across the country (golf courses can also yield rich rewards).
They first emerge like drumsticks – a rounded head on a tall stalk – but the top soon unfurls to resemble a frilly Edwardian umbrella. Thanks to the size (they stand up to 40 cm tall with a 30 cm cap), they are conspicuous from a distance. This visibility is only increased by their social nature - they often grow in large clusters up to 20 or 30 strong.
Parasols dry well, but lose some of their wonderfully delicate flavour in the process. Instead think of this as the perfect breakfast mushroom after an early morning foray. As you return home, nostrils full of mists and mellow fruitfulness, reward your industry immediately by discarding the fibrous stalk, pulling the cap into wedges and frying lightly in butter. Serve on toast with a dash of lemon and a crunch of black pepper.

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Read the latest mushroom-hunting news – what is (and isn’t) up, what it looks like and where to find it . . . plus, of course, cooking and preserving tips. Better still, get regular updates in the comfort of your own home by taking up our free subscription - simply drop us a line via the 'Content' page or e-mail danielr.butler@btopenworld.com . . .

Wild Food

Our ancestors relied on wild food from the fields and woods, great great grandfathers were transported for helping themselves, while Mabey, Mears and Fearnley-Whittingstall have introduced a new generation to its charms. So what free delicacies are available now?

Alexanders
Birch Sap Wine
Chanterelles
Chestnut
Cockles
Crab Apple
Elderberries
Hairy Bittercress
Hogweed
Hops (March 2010)
Morel
Parasol
Pennywort
Ramsoms (May 2010)
Red-legged partridge
Seaweed (August 2010)
Signal Crayfish
Silver Birch
Sloe
St Georges (April 2010)
Stinging Nettles
Wild strawberries

Wildlife Profile

Britain is blessed with a rich and varied fauna - what seasonal highlights are visible now?

Badger
Barn Owl
Bats
Brown Hare
Butterflies
Collared dove
Fieldfares
Frog
Garden Warbler
Great spotted woodpecker
Hare
Hedgehogs
Jay
Kingfisher
Midges (August 2010)
Mistle Thrush
Mistle Thrush
Moths (July 2010)
Nightjar
Nuthatch (June 2010)
Partridge
Red Kite
Redstart
Roe Deer
Spiders
Tawny Owl
The Goshawk
Woodpigeon

Recipes

Just as we Britons have lost any mushroom lore we might once have possessed, so most of us are at a loss when we finally venture into the kitchen with our haul. In reality, however, mushrooms are one of the easiest things to work with. They have such fantastic flavours, the general rule is to not to mask these with complicated recipes. Most should be cooked, particularly the first time, because they can be indigestible, but otherwise, simple is usually best . . .

Baked eggs and rocket with chilli and yoghurt (June 2010)
Blewit Pate
Chanterelle and Feta Quiche
Chanterelles a la forestiere
Chicken and Mushroom Pie
Chicken-of-the-Woods Satay
Elderflower Cordial
Grilled Cepes
Jew's Ear on Pasta
Morel Fondue
Morel Stroganoff (March 2010)
Mushroom Parcels
Parasol Tempura
Pearl Barley and Wild Mushroom Risotto
Porcini, kale and pasta
Saffron Milk Caps with Beans
Shaggy Ink Cap Soup
Smoked Chilli Oil
Spiced Stuffed Mushrooms
Spring Terrine
St Georges Vol-au-Vents
Thai Mushroom Soup
Venison and Blewit Casserole
Wild Mushroom and Nut Pate
Wild mushroom soup

Latest

Newsletter(12May2012)
I’ve still yet to find any St George’s, but the same cannot be said for others, however, and I have been inundated with reports of surprising and mouth-watering finds elsewhere . . .

Wildlife Profile

Hare
Brown hares used to be thought of as natives, but they were probably brought here two millennia ago . . .

Wild Food

Crab Apple
The self-seeded descendents of cultivated apples abound in hedgerows. Often mistakenly called 'crab apples', these sports are generally too tart to eat, but they make a brilliant base for a savoury jelly . . .

Recipes

Spring Terrine
This unusual recipe was sent in by regular newsletter reader Jon Bemrose who is an avid forager and professional chef (and I am endebted to another keen forager, Michael Webber, for the photo of St George's with an unseasonal wood blewit) . . ..

Shop

German mushroom knife
These specially imported knives have a hawk's bill stainless steel blade, lanyard hook and measuring scale. The blade's serrated back and inbuilt natural bristle brush allow collectors to clean their finds in the field.