The rain in February and again over the past month is good news for wild mushroom lovers, with predictions of a bumper season ahead.
Marco Marinelli, aka the Mushroom Man at Adelaide Central Market, says increasing volumes of good-quality mushrooms are already available, especially wild pine mushrooms from the state’s south-east and porcinis foraged from the Adelaide Hills.
“The pine mushrooms should be great [this season]; conditions are looking very good for them.
“Most mushrooms like 18 to 20 degrees in terms of the ground temperature.”
Demand for pine mushrooms is increasing as foodies and restaurateurs seek out more wild, foraged produce.
Marinelli says the pine mushroom season usually runs from May through June, and sometimes into July, with prices currently around $24 a kilogram.
You might like
Described as having a buttery flavour and texture, they can be cooked in almost any way, from sautéing to slow-cooking.
“My favourite way to use a pine mushroom would be baked with a little bit of salt and oil,” Marinelli says. “Or a warm chicken salad with pine mushrooms is pretty great.”
Porcinis, which have a meatier texture and nutty flavour, are a much more expensive product and currently sell for around $100 a kilogram – just a little cheaper than the chanterelles imported in the latter part of the year.
Marinelli says the porcini is known in Europe as the king of mushrooms and he recommends making it the king of a dish, perhaps sautéed with a butter sauce or served with bruschetta or eggs. Some Central Market traders will be offering porcini breakfasts to give market-goers a taste of the mushroom.
When it comes to his own favourite fungi, Marinelli can’t go past the truffle. But while the West Australians truffle season has begun early, he says the better-quality Tasmanian ones are at least a month away.
“The low temperatures overnight in France, where the best ones come from, are -1 to 1 degree, which is the sort of temperatures you get in Tasmania. Their season doesn’t usually start until the end of June.
Stay informed, daily
“You can’t go past a really world-class truffle done well with fresh pasta, a butter sauce, shaved truffle and parmesan cheese. It’s one of the really gourmet experiences, though obviously not an everyday one.”
Here is Marinelli’s “easy-as” recipe for pine mushrooms.
Baked Pine Mushrooms
1 Pre-heat oven to 180C.
2 Thoroughly wipe four medium-sized pine mushrooms (around 10cm diametre).
3 Place on baking tray and bake in oven for 10-12 minutes.
4 Remove from oven and season with Porcini Salt or Wild Mushroom & Black Garlic Salt.
5 Bake for a further 2-3 minutes.
6 Serve as a beautiful side dish or on top of steak for that extra “wow” factor.
Gourmet option
At step 4, add strips of matured cheese or a lovely creamy blue of your choice and place back in the oven.
