Best to know your onions when cooking Beef Wellington
So, the main piece of news that grabbed my attention last month for once, wasn’t the weather. Of course, it has a part to play in this story, but a smaller news item from Victoria, Australia and the deadly aftermath of a family dinner party – supposedly involving a Beef Wellington and a duxelle of Death Cap mushrooms – was intriguing stuff. Whether the event ends up being a case of foul play or a tragic case of mistaken mycelium identity remains to be seen, but it highlighted to me the importance of knowing your onions; especially when you’re out in the woods. Foraging isn’t everyone’s cup of tea and for many people mushrooms or folkloric toadstools spreading out on a patch of lichen or a fallen tree will hold an air of mystery about them but since moving back to Devon I’ve been fascinated by the pastime and learning more about the free larder on our doorstep and how fungi is changing the world.
Accordingly there are over 15k different types of fungi which grow in the UK. Often known as microorganisms they include yeasts, Molds and mushrooms and have a multi-purpose task to play in the environment, food production and ultimately our well-being. Mycelium bricks have already been introduced into the architectural and building industries and companies like IKEA are also using the product in their packaging as it is far more biodegradable than alternative materials like polystyrene. For centuries mushrooms have been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for their anti oxidant properties and ability to boost the immune system and it was a humble mold which led to the discovery of penicillin; changing the face of the medical World.
In more recent times the psychoactive drug Psilocybin; found in the ‘Magic’ variety, has even been lauded as a treatment for PTSD and depression. It is therefore a very versatile organism with many uses; including being a vital component for our daily bread – but it’s crowning glory in my gastronomic opinion – is how good ‘some’ of them are to eat – especially the Wild One’s. Let’s be honest most of the mushrooms we consume are the closed cup variety or the Chestnut types (they’re the one’s recommended for a Beef Wellington). They are normally processed and sold in Supermarkets and alright they soak up flavours and are nice fried in garlic with a dash of cream and Mustard, but overall they lack flavour and texture.
In recent years though gourmet mushrooms have become a big market; many of which are foraged. I was dumbfounded when seeing a post on Facebook about the St George variety (one of the early spring sprouters) selling for £88 a kilo at Borough Market in London. The price didn’t deviate much for the other top sellers like ceps, morels or chanterelles, which seemed insane considering they’re pretty abundant in our local woodlands from late spring to the end of Autumn. OK, it helps if you know your productive spots and it’s important to download apps for instant identification and also to join social media groups into foraging – so you widen your knowledge, but you’ll soon get to recognise what’s edible and what’s not and no walk will ever be the same again. Last Autumn was a case in point where round the Lych Gate, the Avenue and Devington there was a carpet of field mushrooms which made for great eating and was akin to mushroom heaven for a forager.
Maybe I’ve got a big advantage as being confined to a wheelchair means I’m low down and closer to the action but I’ve been on a rich streak in the last couple of years – especially this summer due to the damp and warm conditions, finding all of the gourmet varieties and many more besides. When cooked up you can’t help noticing the difference in the taste and texture and in terms of depth and flavour they are on another level. As for the Death Caps well I’ve seen them up on Haldon Forest too, with their poisonous cousins the Destroying Angels and deadly web caps. They’re all beguiling beauties with a sinister aura about them but they scream DON’T TOUCH ME! at you. Just having them on your doorstep means most of us will stick to the safer supermarket option but if you are prepared to put in the homework and learn your onions then foraging mushrooms will save you money and enhance the eating experience – but just be careful about what you put in your Beef Wellington!
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