Fabulous fungi

[KentGardener]

Boletus edulis

Yum yum. 

My ex-mother in law was born in the mountains of Cortina, Italy - so I am fortunate to have previous experience of Boletus edulis - and it has deservedly gained a place as my second favourite mushroom. 

[gote]

Anthony
Botulis edulis has a very good flavour but the taste is not strong so strong seasoning will kill it.
This also means that unlike (wild) Agaricus/Psalloiita where a single specimen can flavour a largihsh dish you need to be generous with them.
It can be bought dried in bags in delicatessen shops but fresh is of course better.
I dice it 10-15mm. Larger pieces become floppy and less attractive on the plate.
I fry at low heat in butter until the excessive moisture is gone.
It will then have shrunk considerably sometimes down to 30%.
What I do not use immediately goes into the freezer packed in suitabkle lots.
It can be used as ingredient in a lot of things like in a sause to go with meat or in a fish gratine or as Hans writes with pasta or in a soup.
These are what I do but there are more ways.
Cheers
Göte 

[Stephenb]

Wow, that's late to harvest Boletus, Hans! I find that the Boletus edulis (and other fungi) that come later in the year are generally of very good quality (i.e., no fly larvae and not attacked by a parasitic fungus which is quite common here on Boletus edulis).

In Italy you can buy Porcini pasta - i.e., the pasta itself is made with, presumably, dried milled Boletus edulis mixed in with the flour. Very tasty! Next time we have a good season, must try making Porcini pasta from first principles!

[mark smyth]

Anthony seeing your photo I thought I was tripping

Olga your fungi look very nice and your photos as ever perfecto.

[mark smyth]

How do you ferment them?

[Anthony Darby]

Anthony seeing your photo I thought I was tripping

What, the "earring" or the Balinese shirt?

[Lesley Cox]

So porcini are actually Boletus edulis? I can buy dried porcini in my local fresh pasta shop.

[mark smyth]

I didnt notice the light on your ear

[Melvyn Jope]

I think this is among the weirdest looking fungi, when I first saw it I thought it was a discarded child or pets toy. I cannot remember its name but I saw it in Zakinthos last year and this one was photographed in the Peloponnese a couple of weeks ago.

[Lesley Cox]

we have similar ones, but white, always, so far as I know.

[Stephenb]

Basket or Cage Fungus, possibly Clathrus ruber - we discussed them earlier - Clathrus spp were eaten by the Maori in New Zealand. They apparently smell like a dead rodent which attracts flies... Not something I'm in a hurry to try...

[Lesley Cox]

I haven't seen the white one for years but they occasionally turned up in my late mother's garden. I don't recall any smell associated with them, but probably I saw them when very new and freshly broken out.

[Melvyn Jope]

Stephen, many thanks for identifying it as Clathrus ruber.

[Olga Bondareva]

Melvyn
Really fabulous! It is very rare here!

[maggiepie]

Olga, your photographs are absolutely beautiful.
I am really enjoying them.