Antonio Carluccio, the mushroom man, tells how this celebratory fungi saved his life on St George's Day!
[UKPRwire, Mon Apr 20 2009] Antonio Carluccio, affectionately called the Mushroom Man, celebrates his adoptive country’s national day with the special St George’s Mushroom.
This delicate wild mushroom is one of the first mushrooms of the season and is known as the St George’s mushroom in English because it usually appears on St George’s day.
The roly poly chef, who often commences a Spring time diet describes how on one St George’s Day he was saved by this delicious fungi.
“I was so hungry that I was tempted to eat anything that came my way. A basket of St George’s mushrooms was what came my way, and I ate the lot raw, about 225g! They saved the day, satisfying my hunger and yet not letting me put on any weight”
The wild mushrooms grow in fairy like circles, and enlarge each year by a couple of centimetres. You can spot them in tufts of longer and darker grassland anywhere from Hyde Park to Newmarket Heath.
When you have picked your St George's Mushrooms, Antonio suggests you simply sauté and serve on toast for a delicious and simple treat to enjoy this St George’s Day:
Antonio’s Grilled Mushrooms on Toast
Ingredients:
300g of St Georges Mushrooms
55g butter
4Tbsp Olive oil
1 Garlic Clove, Finely chopped
1 small fresh red chilli, finely chopped
Juice of ½ lemon
1Tbsp finely chopped Parsley
4 Tbsp double Cream
4 large slices of country farmhouse bread, toasted on both sides,
100g mozzarella, cut into chunks
55g fresh breadcrumbs
Method:
Preheat the grill. Clean and trim the mushrooms as appropriate, and cut the larger ones into pieces if necessary. Sauté the mushrooms in butter and olive oil, with the garlic and chilli, until slightly softened. Add the lemon juice and parsley and stir briefly. Add the double cream, and cook for 10minutes, or until the mushrooms are tender. Season to taste. Top each slice of toast with some of the mixture and dot with cheese. Sprinkle with the breadcrumbs and grill until cheese is bubbling. Serve immediately.
