SC - Mushrooms!

[Philip W. Troy]

Jeanne Stapleton wrote:
> =

> Okay:  I got a five-lb flat of fresh mushrooms in lovely shape as
> part of a bonus for working with the SCA group at the public TV
> station this week.  Since I'm not going to eat that much stroganoff
> in the next week or so, I'd like some suggestions/recipes/sources on:
> =

>         -interesting ways to pickle
>         - interesting snack/appetizer things for a Pelican vigil next F=
riday
>         - things other than stroganoffing or sauteeing

For what it's worth, I served this at an EK 12th Night a couple of years
ago:

					_Funges in Pasty_

	=93Mushrooms of one night be the best and they be little and red within
and closed at the
top; and they must be peeled and then washed in hot water and parboiled
and if you wish to put them in a pasty add oil, cheese, and spice
powder.=94

Le Menagier de Paris, translated by Eileen Powers, pub. Harcourt, Brace,
New York, 1928
	=

	A pasty is a great way to cook almost anything moist, as the pastry
case seals in
any juices which would otherwise escape during cooking. The exact nature
of the
dough is fairly unimportant; most likely it would have been a hot water/
shortening dough such as are used in modern English raised pork pies.
Pasties are always free-standing; without a pan to shape them. Classic
shapes are turnovers and double-crust rounds, like large round ravioli.
They can be, and were, either baked or deep-fried.
	I suspect le Menagier is talking about some other mushroom than our
standard champignon; the need for peeling and parboiling suggests some
level of toxicity. We don=92t usually have to worry about that unless we
hunt up our own mushrooms. =

	=

For eight servings:
	=

	Eight frozen empanada wrappers (Goya makes cool yellow ones, 10 per
pack!) 		or one recipe standard short piecrust, divided into eight and
rolled out into thin circles, or one frozen 9-inch pie-shell, partially
prebaked.
	12 ounces, drained weight, canned sliced mushrooms plus one ounce
soaked			=

		dried wild mushrooms, chopped and sauteed (we used porcinis)
	OR
	1  1/4 pounds fresh mushrooms, sliced and sauteed
	2 -3 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
	1/2 cup ricotta cheese or equivalent in cheese of your choice
	2 Tbs grated parmesan cheese
	2 tsp quatre ep=EDce or mixed pepper, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves
	salt and pepper
	3-4 cups vegetable oil for deep-frying, if you=92re going that way

	Make the filling. Mix your mushrooms with the cheese, the olive oil,
and the spice powder. If you use premixed spice powder, remember it
probably already has some pepper. Season with salt and, if necessary,
pepper. If you=92re using a commercial baked pie shell, add one or two
beaten eggs to hold the filling together.
	If using frozen wrappers, follow package directions for thawing and
keep covered with a slightly damp towel. If you=92re using homemade
wrappers do the same.
	Fill two or three wrappers at a time, keeping the rest covered. If
necessary, brush inside edges with water or beaten egg to seal. Pinch
shut any cracks the same way; a rub with a wet fingertip erases them.
Crimp the edges with fingers or a fork (optional). Fried pasties need to
be well sealed or they=92ll explode and fill your oil with brown curds.
Baked ones are easier, but not as good. Any leftover beaten eggs can be
used to glaze the baked version.
	Deep-fry at 350=B0 F, til golden, or bake at 375=B0 F for 25 minutes or
until a knife point comes out clean.


G. Tacitus Adamantius