Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking - Marcella Hazan [242]
Fried Breaded Mushrooms, Tuscan Style
For 4 servings
¾ pound fresh, firm, white button OR cremini mushrooms
1 jumbo OR 2 smaller eggs
Black pepper, ground fresh from the mill
1½ cups unflavored bread crumbs, lightly toasted, spread on a plate
Vegetable oil
Salt
1. Trim, wash, and towel-dry the mushrooms as described in Step 1 of this recipe. Cut them into lengthwise sections about ¾ inch thick, or into halves if they are very small, keeping the caps attached to the stems.
2. Break the eggs into a deep dish or small bowl, add a few grindings of pepper, and beat lightly with a fork.
3. Dip the mushroom pieces in the beaten egg, letting excess egg flow back into the dish, then dredge them in the bread crumbs, coating both sides.
4. Pour enough oil into a frying pan to come ½ inch up the sides. When you think the oil is quite hot, test it by dipping into it one of the mushroom sections. If it sizzles, the oil is ready for frying. Slip as many pieces into the pan as will fit loosely without overlapping. Cook until they form a crisp, golden brown crust on one side, then turn them and do the other side. When both sides are done, use a slotted spoon or spatula to transfer them to a cooling rack to drain or to a platter lined with paper towels. Repeat the procedure until all the mushrooms are done. Sprinkle with salt and serve at once.
Sautéed Shiitake Mushroom Caps, Porcini Style
WHEN THEIR CAPS are sautéed slowly in olive oil and garlic as described below, shiitake—better than other market mushrooms—develop a flavor reminiscent of the forest scent of fresh porcini.
For 4 servings as a main course, 6 to 8 as a side dish
2 pounds fresh shiitake mushrooms with large caps
⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Black pepper, ground fresh from the mill
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1. Detach the mushroom caps from the stems and discard the stems. Wash the caps quickly in running cold water without letting them soak. Pat dry gently, but thoroughly with a cloth towel.
2. Choose a skillet that can accommodate all the mushroom caps snugly, but without overlapping. (If necessary, use two pans, in which case increase the olive oil to ½ cup.) Coat the bottom of the pan with a few drops of olive oil, tilting the pan to spread it evenly. Put in the mushroom caps, top sides facing up, and turn on the heat to medium low.
3. After about 8 minutes, turn the caps over and sprinkle them with salt and pepper. When you find that the mushrooms have shed liquid, turn up the heat for as long as necessary to simmer the liquid away. When there are no more watery juices in the pan, turn the heat down again, sprinkle the caps with garlic and parsley, pour over them the remaining olive oil, and continue to cook for about 5 more minutes, until the mushrooms feel tender when prodded with a fork. Serve promptly with the oil, garlic, and parsley remaining in the pan.
Mushroom Timballo
A timballo is a traditional Italian mold, drum-like in shape. The name also applies to the dish cooked in that mold, and there are as many kinds of timballi as there are things that can be minced, sauced, and baked.
In this elegant and savory monument to the mushroom, the caps and stems are cooked separately. The caps are breaded and fried crisp, some are used to line the bottom of the mold, some to crown the timballo, and others in between. The stems, cooked with tomatoes and reconstituted dried porcini, are part of the filling, where they alternate with layers of fried caps and cheese.
For 6 to 8 servings
A small packet OR 1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms, reconstituted
The filtered water from the mushroom soak
2 pounds fresh, firm, white button OR cremini mushrooms with good-size, tightly closed caps
2 eggs
Unflavored bread crumbs, lightly toasted, spread on a plate
1¼ cups vegetable oil
⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon garlic chopped fine
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Salt
Black pepper, ground fresh from the mill
½ cup canned imported Italian plum