Black Trumpets with Red Pepper Sauté

by Charmoon Richardson

The highly unique flavor of black trumpets (also known as black chanterelle, Craterellus cornucopioides) goes well with many kinds of dishes, from simple soups to rich cream sauces. One of my favorite approaches is to use a smoked ingredient, such as a smoked cheese or fish, as is done in this recipe.

Ingredients

Preparation

If necessary, rinse the mushrooms in cold water, then spin, shake, or pat dry on a clean dish towel to remove excess water. Chop or tear into strips.

Clean and chop the pepper into (approx.) ½ inch squares.

Peel the shallots, and slice lengthwise into thick slivers. Sauté them in the olive oil until just past translucent, then add the marsala or wine to finish. Reduce liquid, remove shallots from pan, and set aside.

Replace the pan on the burner, increase the heat a bit, and add the black trumpets. Start to stir immediately, so they don't stick. In a minute or two, they should start to release their own liquid into the pan. Once some liquid is built up, stir in the tamari. Simmer the mushrooms in their own liquid (if using rehydrated mushrooms, add the decanted and pre-heated liquid to the pan) for about 7 or 8 minutes, then test for doneness (cook a few minutes longer if using rehydrated). The mushrooms should be almost tender. If so, then add the red pepper, and simmer for 3 or 4 minutes more, until the peppers are just done. Taste the liquid—it may need a small touch of tamari, or maybe salt to taste. Stir in the cooked shallots, then add the grated cheese, cover the pan, allow cheese to melt, stir, remove from heat, and serve on sliced sour French bread, crackers, mashed potatoes, etc. Asparagus can be used instead of red pepper for another taste treat—adjust the cooking time accordingly.

Notes

*If using dehydrated black trumpets, rehydrate ½ quart dry mushrooms for 10 minutes in 2 cups of freshly boiled water. Allow to cool, then carefully decant and save the rehydration liquid, which is now a rich stock filled with flavor and nutrients. Rinse the mushrooms if needed, in cool water, until there is no gritty sediment at the bottom of the rinse water, and any floating leaf particles, redwood needles, etc., have been removed.

About the chef

Charmoon Richardson is a SOMA member and owner of Wild About Mushrooms. Charmoon has been collecting and studying wild mushrooms in Northern California for over 25 years. He teaches mushroom identification, is a past president of SOMA, wrote a column for SOMA News about mushroom foraging and cooking, and was the organizer of SOMA Camp for a number of years.