Fresh Porcini Mushrooms

• Porcini are the essence of elegance and delight. And they live in perfect harmony with their surroundings! That is why they cannot be cultured like champignons and are quite difficult  to obtain in the US. But when you get an opportunity, go for it! They are quite a delicacy. When I scoured them I made sure I had the best virgin (cold pressed) Olive oil on hand and plenty of chives and parsley.
• Rinse under water and prepare as soon as possible.
• What are Porcini? Porcini mushrooms grow on the ground in hardwood forests near pine, chestnut, hemlock, and spruce. They fruit in the summer to fall. They form a mycorrhizal relationship with pine trees and beneficial, symbiotic relationships with the roots of surrounding plants. The plant gets better access to water and nutrients through the larger surface area of the fungal mycelia, and the fungus gets access to sugars that the plant produces. They’re most famously found in Italy but they’re also found in Germany, Russia, North America, and other parts of the world like New Zealand and South Africa.
• Very high in protein, they make a great substitute to any meat dish. Great in risottos or artisan pastas.  In this recipe I simply prepared the porcini as antipasti, by sautéing the onions, adding the porcini sliced and the finely chopped parsley. Use Salt and pepper sparsely. Enjoy ❤