Homemade mushroom elixir

The mushroom elixir is so good you would want to pour a teaspoon for yourself. Tasting is believing. The taste remains with you for a long time after you have swallowed the liquid. The wine folks might have a word for that. Basically, this is a condiment you would want to have in your fridge. I use it like soy sauce. 

The Norwegians call it "soppsoya" ("Mushroom soy"). 

The classical Norwegian recipe comes from Else Wiborg.

Ingredients:
Edible mushrooms (including those which are not perfect enough for your dinner table)

1. Cut mushrooms into large bits.
2. Layer mushrooms and sea salt in a large bowl.150-200 g sea salt to 1 kg mushrooms
3. Cover with a plate and put a weight on top of the plate.
4. Leave in a cold place (I put mine in the fridge) for about a week.
5. At the end of the week, you should have quite a lot of dark liquid in the bowl (mushroom extract). If you use Agaricus or other edible dark-spored mushrooms, the liquid will be witch black! Sieve the liquid and measure how much you have. Throw away the mushrooms.

For one liter of mushroom extract, you need:
250-500 g sugar
5 anchovy filets
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground clove
3 laurel leaves
2 dl red wine

6. Brown the sugar in a pot. Make sure it doesn't burn. CAREFULLY, add the mushroom extract. Add the spices, the anchovies and the red wine. Let the liquid simmer for about half an hour.
7. Cool the liquid. Sieve with a muslin cloth. Bring the liquid to boil again.
8. Pour into clean bottles.

ENJOY! 

I use my homemade mushroom elixir when marinating fish or meat. In party nuts. In homemade pancetta. You name it.

You can experiment and use other spices. I have seen recipes with juniper berries, star anise, cardamom, cummin, rose pepper, green pepper, thyme and nutmeg. I have also seen recipes which have included shallots and celeriac.

The first time I tried making mushroom elixir, I ended up with only about half a liter of mushroom extract so I froze it and made the elixir when I had enough batches of frozen mushroom extract. I have also made this with frozen mushrooms.

Three course mushroom meal

First course: porcini risotto, pickled Borgotaro porcini and pickled shitake.

Second course: Duck breast with asparagus, Jerusalem artichokes and roasted Portobello mushrooms topped with garlic and pancetta.

Third course: Thumbprint shortbread cookies topped with winter chanterelle marmalade.

Chief cook: Pål Karlsen

Drink up your porcini

Inspired by various posts on Facebook, I decided to try this out: I used dried porcini and 50% vodka. Store in a cool place until the mushrooms sink to the bottom of the jar. Dispose of the Boletus edulis in a responsible way and invite your fungi friends over for a drink.

Party nuts. With homemade mushroom elixir..

 Lightly toast a selection of your favorite nuts.

In a bowl mix homemade mushroom elixir, brown sugar, smoked paprika, pepper, melted butter or a nice olive oil and any other chopped herbs you have at hand. Basically, a mixture tasting salty, sweet and spicy hot. Mix in the nuts. Dry on parchment paper.

Enjoy! 

Interview with Langdon Cook, author of The Mushroom Hunters

This time on America’s Test Kitchen, we interview Langdon Cook, the author of The Mushroom Hunters: On the Trail of an Underground America, about the dangerous business of foraging for wild mushrooms.

This interview is an excerpt from Show 238: “The Most Dangerous Fungi: Inside the World of Mushroom Hunters.”