MushroomsWe have a wide selection of Canadian dried wild mushrooms, usually available all year round. Dried mushrooms are exceptionally delicious. Many European chefs rely on dried wild mushrooms to flavour soups, sauces, stews, and gravies because of the richness they bring to these dishes. Dried wild mushroom are typically much stronger in flavour than fresh mushrooms, which makes them more economical to use. To use dried mushrooms, reconstitute by soaking them from 5 to 20 minutes in cool to warm water, or a wine/water mix, or stock. Don’t add them directly to hot dishes as the heat may make them tough. When they are soft, drain and use. If you wish to use the flavourful liquid as well, first pour it through a fine strainer or coffee filter. Once reconstituted, the mushrooms can be used as if fresh. Sauté them with garlic, onions or shallots, or add them to stews, soups, risottos, pasta, or meat sauces. Dried mushrooms can also be chipped or powdered in a food processor and used as a rub for meats, vegetables, and fish. Combinations of wild mushrooms will provide rich complex flavours. Describing the flavours of wild mushrooms is not easy as their flavours are often rich and original and will change depending on what they are cooked with or how they are used. They are most often said to taste woodsy, as many carry the flavour of the earth they grow on, but some can be nutty or even taste unlike mushrooms. We’ve noticed that very few mushroom recipe books actually say what the different mushrooms taste like, perhaps because different people pick up different aromas or tastes. A good start to exploring the taste of any mushroom is to sauté it in butter (with perhaps shallots) until cooked, and then try it on toast or in scrambled eggs or an omelet.
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