Hedgehog Mushroom Recipes

Hedgehog Mushroom Tortellini

Ingredients:

• 2 sheets of fresh semolina pasta
• 2 cups of Hedgehog Mushrooms
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 shallot finely diced
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 2-3 sprigs thyme leaves removed and chopped
• 2 tbsp white wine
• 2 handfuls fresh spinach
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan (plus more to garnish)
• sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
• olive oil
• White truffle oil, optional

Instructions:

1. Finely dice the shallots and add them to a warm pan of melted butter (medium to medium high heat.) While the shallots are cooking, dice up the mushrooms and add them to the shallots. Let everything cook for a minute or two then add in the wine.
2. Let that mixture cook and reduce for a minute then add in the cream and thyme. Reduce until the mixture is thick and then remove from heat.
3. Once removed from heat add in the parmesan, and then season to taste.
4. Cut the pasta into circles using a small biscuit cutter. Take a pasta round and dip your finger in water and run along half of the circle (this helps make a good seal). Place about ½ a teaspoon (very little so be careful to not overfill because it becomes a mess) of filling in the middle.
5. Shape pasta
6. Lightly sprinkle with semolina flour and cover on tray until ready to boil. Boil in unsalted water, 2-3 minutes. Drain.
7. Lightly sautée spinach in a tablespoon of olive oil.
8. Toss spinach with the pasta and add to a serving plate, sprinkle with parmesan, drizzle of olive oil, and a slight drizzle of truffle oil OR toss them in garlic butter and some fresh parsely, top with parmesan.

Wild Hedgehog Mushroom and Butternut Squash Empaῆadas

Ingredients:

For empanada filling

• 1 cup diced (1/4-inch) butternut squash
• 1/2 cup finely chopped white onion
• 6 small garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 (2- to 3-inch) fresh jalapeño chiles, seeds and ribs discarded and chiles finely chopped
• 1 pound fresh hedgehog mushrooms trimmed and coarsely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup chicken broth

For sauce

• 1 dried pasilla de Oaxaca chile
• 3 garlic cloves, left unpeeled
• 1 pound fresh tomatillos, husks discarded and tomatillos rinsed and quartered
• 1/4 cup finely chopped white onion
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

For empanada crust

• 1/3 Café Azul's pastry dough (1 pound)
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water
• 2 teaspoons coarse sea salt

Preparation:

Make empanada filling:
Cook squash in a small saucepan of boiling salted water until just tender, about 2 minutes, then drain in a sieve.

Cook onion and garlic in oil in a large heavy skillet over moderately low heat, stirring, until onion is softened, about 3 minutes. Add jalapeños and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in mushrooms, salt, and broth and simmer, covered, until mushrooms are tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until liquid is evaporated, about 3 minutes, then stir in squash and salt to taste. Cool filling completely.

Make sauce:
Heat a dry griddle or heavy skillet (preferably cast-iron) over moderately low heat until hot, then toast pasilla de Oaxaca chile, pressing down with tongs, 15 to 20 seconds on each side. Halve chile lengthwise and discard stem, ribs, and seeds.

Heat griddle over moderately high heat until hot, then toast garlic until lightly blackened, 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Cool garlic slightly and peel.

Simmer tomatillos, onion, water, chile, garlic, and salt in a large saucepan, covered, until tomatillos are very tender, about 20 minutes, and cool slightly. Remove 1 chile half and reserve, then purée sauce in a blender until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids), adding as much of reserved chile half as necessary to achieve desired spiciness. Return sauce to pan and season with salt.

Form and bake empanadas:
Preheat oven to 400°F.

Divide dough into 8 equal pieces (2 ounces each) and form each into a disk. Roll out 1 piece on a lightly floured surface into a 6- to 7-inch round (1/8 inch thick). Spoon about 1/3 cup filling onto center and brush edge of pastry lightly with egg wash. Fold dough in half to form a half-moon, enclosing filling, and press edges together to seal. Crimp edge decoratively and transfer empanada with a spatula to a large baking sheet. Make 7 more empanadas in same manner.

Lightly brush empanadas all over with some of remaining egg wash and sprinkle each with 1/4 teaspoon sea salt. Bake in middle of oven until golden, 25 to 30 minutes.
While empanadas are baking, reheat sauce. Cut each empanada in half with a serrated knife and serve with about 3 tablespoons sauce spooned around it.

Creamy Polenta with Hedgehog Mushrooms and Marscapone

Ingredients:

For polenta

• 4 1/2 cups water
• 1 cup coarse stone-ground white grits (preferably organic)
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

For mushrooms

• 1 lb fresh exotic Hedgehog mushrooms
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, smashed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 cup water
• 3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

For serving

• 1/2 cup mascarpone
• 2 tablespoons finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Preparation:

Make polenta:
Bring water to a simmer in a 3- to 4-quart heavy saucepan. Add grits in a slow stream, whisking until incorporated. Simmer, stirring occasionally with a long-handled whisk or wooden spoon, until liquid is absorbed and polenta is thick and soft, about 30 minutes. (Grits will have a loose, risotto-like consistency.) Remove from heat and stir in cream, cheese, salt, and pepper. Keep warm, covered.

Sauté Hedgehog mushrooms while polenta simmers:
Brush cap gently with mushroom brush, trim base of stem and cut mushrooms in half.

Heat oil in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté mushrooms, garlic, salt, and pepper, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are golden and any liquid they give off is evaporated, 6 to 8 minutes.

Add water, butter, lemon juice, and parsley and heat, swirling skillet, until butter melts and liquid forms a sauce.

To serve:
Top each serving of polenta with mushrooms and mascarpone. Serve immediately (polenta stiffens as it cools), sprinkled with Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Cooks' note: Mushroom sauce can be made 1 hour ahead and kept, covered, at room temperature. Reheat before using.

Wild Hedgehog Mushroom Risotto

Ingredients:

• 6 1/2 cups chicken stock , or 5 cups low-sodium chicken broth (40 fl oz) and 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
• 1/4 lb fresh wild Hedgehog mushrooms trimmed and chopped
• 1/3 cup finely chopped shallots (about 2)
• 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice* (10 oz)
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon white truffle oil* (optional)
• 1 1/2 oz finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (3/4 cup)
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh chives

Preparation:

Bring stock to a simmer in a 4-quart pot and keep at a bare simmer, covered.

Heat oil with 1 tablespoon butter in a 4- to 5-quart heavy saucepan over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then sauté mushrooms, stirring occasionally, until browned and any liquid they give off is evaporated, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then transfer to a bowl.

Cook shallots in 2 tablespoons butter in same saucepan over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring, 1 minute.

Ladle in 1 cup simmering stock and cook at a strong simmer, stirring, until absorbed. Continue simmering and adding stock, about 1/2 cup at a time, stirring very frequently and letting each addition be absorbed before adding next, until rice is just tender and creamy-looking, 16 to 18 minutes. (Save leftover stock for thinning.)

Remove from heat and stir in remaining tablespoon butter, sautéed mushrooms, truffle oil to taste (if using), cheese, chives, and salt and pepper to taste. If desired, thin risotto with some of leftover stock.

Wild Hedgehog Mushroom and Yukon Gold Potato Gratin with Blue Cheese

Ingredients:

• 5 ounces crumbled blue cheese (such as Stilton, Gorgonzola or Maytag blue; about 1 1 /2 cups), room temperature
• 2 1/2 cups whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
• 1 pound mixed fresh wild Hedgehog mushrooms thickly sliced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme or 3/4 teaspoon dried
• 2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, very thinly sliced into rounds

Preparation:

Position rack in top third of oven and preheat to 400°F. Butter 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Place cheese in medium bowl; add 1 cup/2 cream. Using fork, mash mixture to chunky paste. Mix in 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Mix in remaining 2 cups cream.

Melt butter in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and herbs; sauté until mushrooms are tender and liquid cooks away, about 8 minutes. (Cheese sauce and mushrooms can be made 8 hours ahead. Cover separately and chill.)

Arrange half of potatoes on bottom of prepared dish. Spoon 3/4 cup cheese sauce evenly over. Top with all of mushroom mixture, 3/4 cup cheese sauce, then remaining potatoes. Top with remaining cheese sauce. Cover dish with foil.

Bake gratin 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until potatoes are tender, top is golden brown and sauce is thickened, about 30 minutes longer. Let stand 10 minutes; serve hot.