Omelet “Audrey Hepburn” Serbian style

Needed ingredients:  150g of horn of plenty or in Latin Craterellus cornucopioides, 6 eggs, salt, pepper, nutmeg

This omelet is originally published during Yugoslavia in some old magazine by the author Ivan Foht. Name Audrey Hepburn was probably given because in original recipe author used 50g truffles, so it was very rich in ingredients. However original Audrey Hepburn omelet has nothing to do with either one of this mushrooms, but we think she would like both of them.  

Most of you already know about truffles, and I would probably use them in my version as well but I have not found any in South Serbia, so I substitute them for horn of plenty. This mushroom is also somewhat hard to find, looks like a black horn, and is extremely reach in flavor and aroma, so do not ever overuse it.

Now the recipe:

Cleaned up mushrooms wash and stew on butter. Season them with salt, pepper and nutmeg, to taste. Wisk eggs and add them over mushrooms to form a thick pancake. Fry on both sides.

With this omelet I recommend white vine, chardonnay or some other aromatic white. 

Before you head out...rules for beginners!

Since all of my recipes start with: “Put some proper shoos on, take a basket and go out to the forest…” it was appropriate of me to give you at least some basic advices on what to do before you head out. Next advices are very familiar to the other mushroom pickers but for the newbies and for the sake of making sure that we all remember what is important and how to be safe, I am writing them down. Can’t hurt, right? 

First rule of a mushroom picking: Pick only mushrooms that you know are eatable for sure. If you are not sure in what you found, put it aside in separate container or a box, that you would use only for a doubtful specie. Later on, you can consult literature and ask for help from someone you consider specialist in this area (you can even write to me and i would be glad to help). Everything you picked for eating, clean up nicely from all the leafs and dirt, and carry in a baskets or bags made of natural material (paper, cotton, wattle...). Do not pick mushrooms that are near busy roads or industrial area. You could poison your self with heavy metals (not the music, we are talking about chemicals) and other poisons that mushrooms suck in from polluted environment. If the forest is near the road, walk at least 100m into the forest before you start picking mushrooms for eating.

Second rule of mushroom picking: Mushrooms should be cut with knife in a process only if they grow on a tree next to the tree bark. If they grow on the ground easily twist them clockwise until it separates from the grownd. Smaller specie such is chanterelle for example, who's mycelium (vegetative part of fungus or fungus-like bacterial colony, consisting of  a mass of branching, thread-like hyphae) is very close to the ground or in the ground, it is better to cut out with a knife, as close as you can to the ground, than while trying to pick the mushroom destroy. Do not tear them or kick them. Mycelium is just a part of a fungus that lives hidden from us in a tree bark, in the ground or in forest litter, which we should preserve so it can give us mushrooms in seasons to come. Do not pick to young or to old specimens. Always leave enough mature specimens to renew the yield. Pick only what you need. 

Third rule of mushroom picking: Do not leave litter of industrial origin such are plastic and metals, in the forest. Bacteria and fungi can't degrade it! 

Forth rule of mushroom picking: Mushrooms after the hunt, clean up as soon as you can. Their proteins are easily degradable. If you leave them for over 12hrs after picking, without thermally processing, they start to spoil. If you eat this kind of mushroom you will have symptoms as if you ate spoiled meet. In thermal processing we include putting them in the freezer as well.  

Fifth rule of mushroom picking: Every new mushroom that you want to put on the menu first try. If after 24 hrs you do not have any type of reaction (allergic or other) it is safe for consuming. Do not eat mushrooms everyday or in huge quantities, that can cause saturation in organism. Mushrooms are most of all spice and addition to the meal. On a weekly basis you can eat 1/2-1kg various mushrooms, but with some breaks. Proteins from the mushrooms are digestible only 70%, and chitin, which is conducted in their cell wall, dissolves bacteria from small intestine. This is why overeating mushrooms can cause bloating. 
To summerise: If you are not sure what you have picked, you better throw it away. It is better to throw away eatable mushroom than to randomly consume poisonous one, out of ignorance. Remember: In a world of mushrooms, you should enter with baby steps. But it is rewarding!

Translated from a website: http://www.tehnologijahrane.com/knjiga/gljive-vodic-kroz-svet-jestivih-i-otrovnih-gljiva

PRE IZLASKA NA TEREN

Kako svi moji recepti započinju rečima: "Nazuti adekvatnu obuću, uzeti korpu u ruke i krenuti u šumu..." dužan sam da dam nekoliko osnovnih pravila pre nego da krenete u šumu. Verujem da je sledeći tekst, barem načelno, veom dobro poznat gljivarima, ali nije loše ponoviti ga.

Prvo gljivarsko pravilo: Sakupljajte za jelo samo one vrste gljiva koje sa sigurnošću možete da odredite. Ako niste sigurni u ono što ste pronašli, odvojte u neku kutiju, namenjenu sakupljanju nepoznatih vrsta. Kasnije možete konsultovati literaturu i potražiti pomoć u nekom gljivarskom udruženju. Sve što sakupljate radi ishrane nakon branja dobro očistite i nosite u korpama pletenim od pruća, u platnenim i papirnatim kesama. Ne berite gljive u blizini prometnih saobraćajnica ili u industrijskim zonama grada. Otrovaćete se teškim metalima i ostalim otrovima koji će se usisani iz zagađene životne sredine naći u plodnim telima. Ako je šuma blizu puta, udaljite se najmanje 100 metara pre no što počnete da sakupljate gljive radi konzumiranja.

Drugo gljivarsko pravilo: Gljive secite nožem samo ako rastu na stablu i to tik uz samu koru. Ako rastu na zemlji lagano ih zavrćite u smeru kretanja kazaljke na satu dok gljivu ne uberete. Sitnije vrste, kao na primer lisičarke, borovog mišića i slično, čije su micelije veoma blizu površine zemlje ili u samoj stelji, bolje odrežete nožem što bliže zemlji, nego da prilikom branja pokidate i samu miceliju. Ne čupajte ih i ne šutirajte. One su samo plodovi gljivače (micelije), koja živi skrivena od vašeg pogleda u stablu, zemlji ili šumskoj stelji i koju treba čuvati i negovati, da bi nam i sledeće sezone podarila svoje plodove u obliku gljiva. Nikada ne berite previše mlade niti previše stare primerke. Uvek ostavite dovoljan broj zrelih primeraka koji će pustiti spore iz kojih će se razviti novi živi organizam. Berite samo onoliko koliko vam je potrebno.

Treće gljivarsko pravilo: Otpatke industrijskog porekla ne bacajte po šumi, posebno ne plastiku. Nju bakterije i gljive ne mogu da razgrade jer nije prirodnog porekla.

Četvito gljivarsko pravilo: Gljive nakon povratka sa terena preradite što pre. Njihovi proteini su lako razgradljivi. Ako ih ostavite da stoje više od 12 sati nakon branja, a da ih termički niste obradili, počeće proces kvarenja. Ako konzumirate takvu gljivu imaćete iste simptome kao da ste se trovali pokvarenim mesom. U termičku obradu spada i odlaganje u zamrzivač.

Peto gljivarsko pravilo: Svaku novu gljivu koju želite da uvrstite u svoj jelovnik prvo probajte. Ako nakon 24 sata ne dođe do pojave bilo kakve alergijske reakcije, sigurno je možete konzumirati. Ne jedite gljive svakodnevno niti u preteranim količinama, to vodi zasićenju organizma. Gljive su pre svega začin i dodatak jelima. Sedmično možete pojesti 1/2 – 1 kg različitih vrsta, ali povremeno pravite i pauze. Proteini iz gljiva su svarljivi samo 70%, a hitin, koji gradi njihov ćelijski zid u našem organizmu razgrađuju bakterije koje žive u tankom crevu. Zato veće količine gljiva izazivaju neprijatna nadimanja. Ako niste sigurni šta ste ubrali, bolje je baciti i dobru, jestivu gljivu, nego nasumično pojesti neku otrovnu iz čiste lakomosti. Zapamtite: U SVET GLJIVA SE ULAZI POLAGANO.

Preuzeto sa sajta http://www.tehnologijahrane.com/knjiga/gljive-vodic-kroz-svet-jestivih-i-otrovnih-gljiva

OMLET „a la Odri Hepbern“

Potrebne namirnice: 150 g sveže crne trube (u originalnom receptu 50 g tartufa), 6 jaja, so, biber, muskatni orah

Priprema: očišćene gljive oprati i dinstati na maslacu. Začiniti solju biberom i muskatnim orahom. Jaja ulupati i preliti preko gljiva, a može se i uviti u palačinku od jaja, dobre su obe varijante. Zapeći sa obe strane.

  Uz omlet servirati salatu zelenu ili paradajz. 

  Za piće šardone ili neko mirisavo belo vino. 

Ovaj recept sam pronašao, pre mnogo godina, u napisu objavljenom u jednom sarajevskom časopisu, još u vreme jedinstvene zemlje. Ne pamtim ime časopisa, na žalost izgubio sam te listove, samo se sećam autora napisa, pa ću ga ovde i navesti, autor je Ivan Foht, tada univerzitetski profesor filozofije, ali i autor više knjiga o gljivama. 

Recept sam mnogo puta pripremao, normalno koristeći crnu trubu, jer mislim da na jugu Srbije nema tartufa, ili ih ja barem nisam još pronašao.

PASTERIZOVANJE GLJIVA

 Kada gljive dobrro ponesu, kao što je to slučaj ove sezone, nameće se pitanje i kako ih ostaviti za kasnije, kada ih ne bude bilo. Jedan od predloga bi bio i - pasterizacija.
Pasterizovati je moguće praktično bilokoje vrste, još bolje je pomešati više vrsta.
NAČIN PRIPREME:
Gljive očistiti i oprati, pa zatim dinstatina malo ulja dok se zapremina gljiva ne svede na 1/4 prvobitne. Zatim dinstanim gljivama napuniti dobro oprane tegle sa odličnimn zatvaračima. Zatvaračima posvetiti pažnju, jer od njih najviše zavisi koliko će trajati.. Napunjene i dobro zatvorene tegle potom zagrevati na 125 -150 C u rerni jedno 60-90 minuta.
Kada se ohlade zatvarač mora da napravi ulegnuće i to bi bio znak da je pasterizacija dobro izveden, odnosno da zatvarač dobro zaptiva, te da će gljive dugo trajati (zapravo nadam se da neće mnogo dugo, već da će biti brzo pojedene.
Napomena: pri upotrebi pasterizovanih gljiva, voditi računa o tri stvari:
-jedan deo pasterizovanih menja 3 do 4 dela svežih
- gljive se stavljaju direktno u jelo
- otvorena tegla ne može dugo da traje, trebalo bi je brzo potrošiti.

na slikama je način pripreme sa letnjim vrstama: vrganj, jajčara, šampinjon, golubica, ded, bisernica

Welcome friends

For all the brave souls,

   Knowing that I am an amateur, it is even safe to say that this is my hobby, I didn’t try to dig deeper into mycology. This brings up a question why would someone follow me instead of numerous other fungi enthusiasts? The answer is hidden in the combination of two of my hobbies, nature being one and gastronomy as another. This is what puts in place my work, defines it and what hides behind the head line of this blog which is “Fork seeking the mushroom”.

   In its core, this presents mushroom culinary guide through South Serbia. But a lot of this examples are not just typical for this area. They can be translated all around the world. All the photos and texts are self took and self written, sometimes quality is not the best one, but it can be understood since they are taken right on the spot, directly in forest. All the recipes are tried out and most of them are self invented, but all of them have personal touch and adaptation.

 Upfront I apologize to the true mycologists, in descriptions I have not given chemical reactions, nor microscope pictures, which are necessary for determination of certain fungi. This is the reason why I didn’t write or use this kind of fungi.  Description of colors are very subjective (since I am engineer of technology, my daytime job was dying of materials for a very long time, and this I say from experience), so you should not relay to this so strictly while determining fungi.

   

Advice for beginners- It is always good to have someone who has experience, along with books about fungi, before you step in miraculous world of fungi. If you need any help with determination, I can assist you, you can message me with a picture and together we could try and find out what your catch is and how you can prepare it. After some time, you will gain experience and fall in love with nature, mushroom picking, fungi and forest, which is not so common surrounding for mankind anymore.  

   After all, I wish you happy hunt and bone appétit , after all this will mostly be a cook guide