Wild Things
Thursday, 15 October 2009 13:38
Written by Kenton Smith,photography by LVB Photography
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 “You can find good edible mushrooms almost anywhere,” says Dr. David Punter, former head of the University of Manitoba’s Department of Botany. Yet how many know that some of the most prized varieties–chanterelles, morels, porcinis and oysters–flourish from the shores of Lake Winnipeg to the woods of Bird’s Hill, Belair, and La Barriere? Indeed, the proliferation and availability of high-quality wild mushrooms, however limited in supply, may very well be one of province’s best-kept gastronomic secrets. Let’s put it this way. If you’re not already a locavore–that is, someone who likes to keep his food miles low–the revelation of the wild mushroom may just convert you. “I’m a huge wild mushroom fan,” says Scott McTaggart, owner of Fusion Grill. “They’re a very unusual treat.” What makes them so special? Their potency of flavour–they’re rich, intense ingredients that pair well with other earthy fall components. Yes, one can easily find prized mushroom varieties at many supermarkets. However, as Chef Thomas Short of Fude Inspired Cuisine explains, if they are not dried, they are almost certainly farmed–which is to say, milder. They simply don’t possess a wild mushroom’s, well, wildness. Some varieties are truly unique delicacies: the lobster mushroom, as an example, has a fibrous texture that actually evokes its namesake. And they happen to have been found in unusual quantities this season. In fact, the 2009 season was a banner year for Manitoba wild mushrooms. “Porcinis were coming in by hundreds of pounds at a time,” says Marco De Luca of De Luca’s Specialty Foods. “Our chef was flabbergasted by the quality: he said they were better than the quality he’d been used to in Italy.” Equally amazed was one of Winnipeg’s most avid mushroom foragers, Chef Bernard Mirlycourtois. “This is the best year for porcini I’ve seen in almost 20 years,” he says. A big reason for that was the steady rain and cool weather of this past summer–which proves the old saying about every cloud. For years, it was perhaps predominantly families of central and eastern European descent that annually foraged for fungi. De Luca recalls that around five years ago, when the store was first featuring wild mushrooms, customers of Polish background would comment, “Oh, our family has been picking these for ages!” Likewise, some of his present suppliers are of Aboriginal descent, and continue with their own children the tradition of picking further north. In fact, the local mushroom picking community was almost a “secret society” when De Luca himself joined their ranks about five years ago. And many suppliers remain secretive–even downright mysterious. Scott Schreimer, owner of Vic’s Fruit Market, and manager Franca Vlahos of Stephen & Andrews both refuse to betray their suppliers–who in turn won’t betray where they find their product. And then there is the fabled “Mushroom Lady,” said to be of Eastern European descent, who supplies fungi to the likes of Fusion and Fude. Contacting her may require a third party relay…and even that is no guarantee of success. Why so cloak and dagger? Because there are a finite number of good mushroom hunting spots in Manitoba, says amateur forager Jim Jaworski, owner of Kenaston Wine Market. And even these can be highly sensitive to a variety of both natural and unnatural forces. Simply picking them is a delicate matter; as Schreimer explains, damaging the stem could spoil the growth for subsequent years. Even the more open mushroom hunters will only give away so much. “Bernard has his secret prized spots,” laughs Chef Giacomo Appice of Tre Visi, one of Mirlycourtois’s mushroom hunting protégés. Jaworski, who calls himself Mirlycourtois’s “mushroom buddy,” has scouted a few secret caches of his own–the locations of which he holds close to his chest. But there is another reason for some to be secretive: the harvest of wild mushrooms can be a most lucrative enterprise. Chanterelles can go for $10 to $12 a pound; in spring, morels can price out at about $20 per pound. For many suppliers, it provides a lucrative side business. For years, many local restaurants have made use of local wild mushrooms–and it hasn’t been lost on customers. “People have been seeing them on the menu and are realizing they can obtain them for themselves, to cook at home,” says De Luca. “People are really turning towards trying new things and employing local ingredients in their own kitchens.” Jaworski is not alone: more and more people are, getting into the mushroom foraging act themselves. It’s not simply that it’s cheaper than buying them from a specialty shop. “It’s almost like finding gold sometimes," says Appice. Chef Lorna Murdoch of Fusion Grill highlights mushrooms’ pure, natural flavours in dishes like fresh mushroom and arugula salad, pickerel with porcinis, a demi-glace infused with lobster mushrooms, and wild mushroom strudel. Over at Fude, Short sautées chanterelles in garlic butter and port reduction, serving them with blue cheese and crackers. And Mirlycourtois’s simple-is-best approach to incoroporating mushrooms involves respecting the unique qualities of each individual type: chanterelles are used wisely within omelettes or risottos. The common principle at work is this: use the potency and earthiness of the mushroom as a means of enhancing the other ingredients. Apart from such aforementioned “prestige” varieties, there are many other types of edible mushrooms to be found in the province’s great outdoors. Indeed, says Dr. Punter, many of these, such as shaggy manes, parasols, and inky caps–his personal favourites—can only be found in the wild, as they are more or less impossible to cultivate. His recommended approach for cooking these is simple: toss with butter in a frying pan. Fairy rings, on the other hand, can impart a splendid flavour if added to a soup or stew. For chanterelles and morels, a good bet is to scour mixed or deciduous woods. Chanterelles can also be found in sandy soil, such as that which nurtures pine trees, and morels are also sometimes found in slightly swampier areas–as are porcinis–but Jaworski says that morels are generally the most fickle and hence difficult to find from one year to the next. It’s a short window that opens for finding good wild mushrooms: the two weeks bridging the end of May and beginning of June is the peak period for morels, whereas chanterelle season may begin as early as July and peter out by late August. Yet the opportunity afforded is nothing less than to hunt for hidden treasure. Maps marking the spot may still be coveted–but the secret is out. WILD MUSHROOM FORAGING 101 Read. You really need to know the difference between what’s delectable and what’s potentially deadly. Two helpful volumes are: North American Mushrooms: A Field Guide to Edible and Inedible Fungi, by Dr. Orson K. Miller, Jr. and Hope Miller; and Mushrooms of Ontario and Eastern Canada, by George L. Barron. Inquire. Ask around. Your entree to mushroom hunting may best be found through tagging along with an experienced forager, who can show you where the good stuff is–and what the bad stuff is. You never know–a friend of a friend may know someone. Or maybe a friend knows more than he’s letting on... Register. Social circle not producing a willing mentor? Sign up for the next upcoming mushroom hunting workshop with retired U of M professor Dr. David Punter, who leads expeditions through Nature Manitoba. Call 943-9029 for more information. |