I was fortunate on the way home last night and spotted a cluster of Horse Mushrooms in a front lawn. I quickly pulled over and harvested my bounty.
For those unfamiliar, Horse Mushrooms are identical in appearance and taste to the “Moonlight Mushrooms” that you buy at the grocer, only on a GARGANTUAN scale. Unopened caps can be as large as a softball sitting atop three D-Cell batteries. When opened, they can be a foot in diameter. Unopened are preferred since they are moister and without the worms that infest the mature ones. Anyway, made cream of mushroom soup with ¼ inch thick slices that overhung my oversize tablespoon by about an inch all the way around! Thick, rich, creamy, and LOADED with steak like slices of these tasty fungi.
Pretty easy recipe that I’ve used for years:
Two pots required.
Pot #1- Place the desired amount of Horse Mushrooms or Moonlight Mushrooms and finely diced onions to taste (I like 75% mushrooms, 25% onions) and cover with enough water to pass them by about an inch. Add Chicken Base or Chicken Broth Cubes at twice the recommended amount for the water you have. Simmer until all is tender.
Pot #2- Put an amount equal in depth as pot one with whole milk. On medium high, bring to a simmer while constantly stirring as not to scorch on the bottom of the pot. Add the entire mushroom pot to the simmering milk one ladle at a time.
Keep at a gentle simmer and slowly add enough rue in order to thicken to the desired degree.
(Rue- 2 tablespoons corn starch and 8 heaping tablespoons flour dissolve in 12 ounces of water and strained to remove lumps, best dissolved by putting in a tall narrow glass and shaking with you hand covering the top)
Enjoy!
S
