King Boletes

17. October 2007 by Marco.

WATCH A LIVE PICKING OF KING BOLETES IN WA STATE!

Yes, it is Porcini season again. As you probably noticed, I am a big fan of mushrooms. I believe that it is because of their incredible olfactory qualities. If you like wine and food, you know how important smells are. Mushrooms have an amazing complexity that requires a little bit of thinking, exactly like wine. Moreover their flavor is truly unique.

King Boletes or Porcini in Italian, Céps in French and Steinpilz in German are one of the most sought after mushroom. They are fun to find, fun to look at and fun and versatile in the kitchen. These names I just mentioned are the commonly used ones for the botanical species Boletus Edulis, Boletus Phinopilus, Boletus Aereus and Boletus Aestivalis. According to the continent and country they grow in, they may have slightly different characteristics and sometimes some sister species such as Boletus Zelleri in North America.

These mushrooms are extremely important in fine cuisine and in superb food and wine pairings. They represent one of the true delicacies in Italian and French cuisine and their use is becoming very popular in several other countries as well.

In Tuscany you may have a wild boar filet with a wild Porcini red wine sauce reduction and a glass of Brunello di Montalcino.

In Latium you can order Spinach Gnocchi with Porcini and Arugula and drink a glass of Frascati.

In Veneto you can order a Polenta with wild Porcini ragout and a bottle of Amarone.

In Abruzzo you can have a dish of egg Tagliatelle with heavy cream and sautéed Porcini and a glass of Montepulciano d’Abruzzo

In Sicily you can order simple but amazing Grilled Porcini Caps with the new DOCG Cerasuolo di Vittoria.

BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION:

Boletus edulis Fries
Syst. Mycol. 1: 392. 1821.

• Cap 7-25 cm broad, broadly convex; surface smooth to wrinkled, dry to subviscid in wet weather; color varying from yellow-brown, buff-brown to reddish-brown; flesh thick, white, unchanging; odor and taste mild.

• Pores very small, pallid, becoming dull yellow, finally dingy yellowish-green.

• Stipe 7-20 cm long, 3-8 cm thick, equal to clavate, white at the base, brownish above; white reticulations especially at the apex; veil absent.

• Spores 12-17 x 4-6 µm, smooth, fusiform to elliptical. Spore print olive-brown.

• EDIBLE AND EXCELLENT!

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