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Award-winning chef, author and forager Alan Bergo. Food is all around you.

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Bolete Julienne

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Fresh porcini julienneBehold the julienne-a molten hot, cheese crusted, creamy mushroom extravaganza. Just about every hunter of Eastern European descent I’ve talked to has told me about this dish in some way shape or form, and for good reason.

If you look around, there’s plenty of recipes for mushroom julienne out there, most using button mushrooms. When I first heard about this and wrote it down in my diary of recipes to make, I knew that cultivated mushrooms wouldn’t have a place in it. The way I see it, if I wanted to make a julienne it needed to be worthy of the name. After reading Valentina Pavlovna describe the way Russians love their Borovik (a species of bolete) I knew only some perfect bolete buttons would do.

young porcini

If you’re a mushroom hunter from the Midwest, you know it’s nigh impossible to find bug-less baby boletes. Well it took a couple years, and perfect timing, but I got some. Suffice to say, it was worth the wait.

Fresh porcini julienne

It’s rich as hell, so this is one of those things you make once in a while, but it is definitely a great way to enjoy some fresh boletes. If they’re young enough, they’ll keep their crunchy texture, which is really something to savor. In all reality though, just about any mushroom that likes cream (exclude matsutake here) would be great cooked like this.

Fresh porcini julienne

Fresh porcini julienne
Print Recipe
4.63 from 8 votes

Fresh Porcini or Bolete Julienne

A classic recipe for fresh bolete mushrooms from Eastern Europe
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time30 mins
Course: Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine: Russian
Keyword: Chestnut bolete, Julienne, Porcini appetizer
Servings: 4

Equipment

  • Ceramic or other baking dish

Ingredients

  • 4 oz young porcini or other bolete buttons cleaned, trimmed, and sliced 1/4 in thick
  • 2 tablespoons cooking oil
  • 1 splash Dry white wine roughly 2-4 Tablespoons
  • 1/4 cup yellow sweet onion diced 1/4 inch
  • 1 tablespoon green garlic diced 1/4 in (chopped regular garlic or scallions can be substituted)
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 2 teaspoons all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/4 cup grated grana padano parmesan can be substituted
  • 1/4 cup grated gruyere
  • 1 pinch Fresh chopped thyme (optional)
  • Fresh grated nutmeg What I refer to as "a suggestion of fresh grated nutmeg", just a couple gratings, not too much

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 375.
  • Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil or lard in a saute pan until nearly smoking. Add the porcini and cook over medium-high heat until browned and caramelized, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.
  • Remove the porcini from the pan and season with a pinch of salt and pepper, then add the remaining tablespoon of oil and saute the onion and garlic on medium-low heat, or until translucent and completely cooked through.
  • Add the porcini and any juice they're given off back to the pan with the onions, add the fresh thyme, then add the tablespoon of butter and heat to melt. Stir in the nutmeg and flour and cook for a couple more minutes, stirring occasionally to remove the raw flavor from the flour. De-glaze the pan with the wine, then stir in the sour cream and cheeses. Double check the seasoning for salt and pepper, and adjust if needed.
  • At this point the mixture should be thick and creamy, with a consistency a bit thicker than cream sauce. Transfer the mixture to an oven safe casserole and bake until bubbly and browned, about 15 minutes depending on if you have a convection oven or not. Allow the julienne to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Notes

I chose young porcini for this, but plenty of mushrooms or a blend would be great too-use your imagination. You can vary the recipe any number of ways by using different cheeses, herbs, or whatever you like.
I really like the depth that using two hard grating cheeses brings to this, using soft cheeses like mozzarella that get stringy would be a bit much here, I think, but chevre or another goat cheese would be a great addition.

Fresh porcini julienne

Related

Previous Post: « Potted Chanterelles
Next Post: Nasturtium Leaves And Flowers »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Judy Johnson

    August 7, 2015 at 7:45 pm

    Do you think I could use duck confit for the oil? Also, could I make this through putting in a oven safe casserole and put in the oven about 30 minutes before serving? It would be in the frig for a day so I would give it a bit more time in the oven. Thanks

    Reply
    • Alan Bergo

      August 12, 2015 at 11:53 am

      If you are asking if it’s ok to use the fat left over from making duck confit, sure, that would be fine. You could definitely make it ahead in a casserole and reheat it too, just give it a little extra time, like you mention.

      Reply
  2. sam schaperow

    August 7, 2015 at 9:52 pm

    Why the emphasis on bug-free when they’re smothered in all that cheesy creamy goodness?

    Somehow in reading this, which focuses on texture, I wonder about expanding it into mushrooms like parboiled (to the point of low bitterness, but not entirely gone) Russula laurocerasi & other Russulas that are parboiled before cooking. Such mushrooms have nice texture, but get low on the flavor after the parboil, so if we’re going w/texture….

    Reply
    • Alan Bergo

      August 12, 2015 at 11:50 am

      Hi Sam, I emphasize the buttons being bug free because too much bug damage can ruin the structure and texture of boletes, as you well know. Coarsely chopping semi-bug eaten porcini or other boletes could be a way around it though, I suppose. Typically I save damaged boletes for drying though.

      Reply
  3. Jeremy

    July 31, 2020 at 2:24 pm

    5 stars
    Oh man if your poor mushroom ID doesn’t kill you, the cholesterol will! I just made this with some Lilac Boletes I picked over the weekend, and it’s wonderful. There are a few discrepancies between your ingredient list and directions… I’m happy I chose the 1 tbsp of butter over 2…it’s already swimming in fats. Thanks for posting!

    Reply
    • Jeremy

      July 31, 2020 at 2:42 pm

      ooh, just making a note for later use… we just put this into my girlfriend’s nutrition app and it calculated 97 g of fat and 1035 calories… 24 g of protein too, which’ll make you strong should you have survived it.

      Reply
    • Alan Bergo

      August 1, 2020 at 8:48 am

      Thanks for catching the tiny typo, you will see them here, since I’m a chef, not a copy editor. As far as the calories go, yes, this is a special occasion dish, I didn’t invent it, I swear! 🙂

      Reply
  4. Ashley

    October 22, 2020 at 3:07 pm

    Can you recommend an amount for the fresh thyme and nutmeg please? I see them in the instructions, but they aren’t listed with the ingredients.

    Reply
    • Alan Bergo

      October 22, 2020 at 3:17 pm

      Good eye. It’s hard to copy edit yourself, so that happens from time to time. I adjusted it in the recipe, it’s just a bit to taste of each, skip the thyme if you have to.

      Reply
      • Ashley

        October 22, 2020 at 8:08 pm

        Thank you SO much for responding so quickly! Just in time in the cooking process! I really appreciate it.

        Reply
  5. ashok

    May 24, 2021 at 4:14 am

    5 stars
    Thanks For Sharing this amazing recipe. My family loved it. I will be sharing this recipe with my friends. Hope the will like it.

    Reply
  6. karen

    September 14, 2021 at 4:02 pm

    red or white wine? i’m an absolute novice. i’m guessing white.
    thanks. this recipe looks perfect for my foray into wild mushroom.

    Reply
    • Alan Bergo

      September 15, 2021 at 2:24 pm

      Dry white

      Reply
  7. Darrian

    June 13, 2022 at 10:03 pm

    Instead of white wine could you substitute a cognac or a brandy?

    Reply
    • Alan Bergo

      June 15, 2022 at 11:03 am

      Yes.

      Reply
      • Judy Johnson

        June 15, 2022 at 12:59 pm

        Congratulations on your Beard award!

        Reply
        • Alan Bergo

          June 16, 2022 at 7:42 am

          Thank you.

          Reply

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FORAGER | CHEF®
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Author: The Forager Chef’s Book of Flora
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Alan Bergo
HALP! I’ve been keeping an eye on two loaded mul HALP! I’ve been keeping an eye on two loaded mulberry trees and both got a bunch of fruit knocked down by the storms and wind. 

If anyone in West WI or around the Twin Cities knows of some trees, (ideally on private property but beggars can’t be choosers) that I could climb and shake with a tarp underneath, shoot me a DM and let’s pick some! 🤙😄

TIA

#throwadogabone #mansquirrel #beattlefruit #mulberries #shakintrees
Lampascioni, or edible hyacinth bulbs are one of t Lampascioni, or edible hyacinth bulbs are one of the more interesting things I’ve eaten. 

These are an ancient wild food traditionally harvested in Southern Italy, especially in Puglia and the Salentine Peninsula, as well as Greece and Crete. I’ve seen at least 6-7 different names for them. 

A couple different species are eaten, but Leopoldia comosa is probably the one I see mentioned the most. They also grow wild in North America. 

The bulbs are toxic raw, but edible after an extended boil. Traditionally they’re preserved in vinegar and oil, pickled, or preserves in other methods using acid and served as antipasti. (Two versions in pic 3). 

They’re one of the most heavily documented traditional wild foods I’ve seen. There’s a few shots of book excerpts here.

The Oxford companion to Italian Food says you can eat them raw-don’t do that. 

Even after pickling, the bulbs are aggressively extremely bitter. Definitely an acquired taste, but one that’s grown on me. 

#traditionalfoods #vampagioli #lampascione #cucinapovera #lampascioni #leopoldiacomosa #foraging
Went to some new spots yesterday looking for poke Went to some new spots yesterday looking for poke sallet and didn’t do too well (I’m at the tip of its range). I did see some feral horseradish though which I don’t see very often. 

Just like wild parsnip, this is the exact same plant you see in the store and garden-just escaped. 

During the growing season the leaves can be good when young. 

They have an aggressive taste bitter enough to scare your loved ones. Excellent in a blend of greens cooked until extra soft, preferably with bacon or similar. 

For reference, you don’t harvest the root while the plant is growing as they’ll be soft and unappealing-do that in the spring or fall. This is essentially the same as when people tell you to harvest in months that have an R in them. 

#amoraciarusticana #foraging #horseradishleaves #horseradish #bittergreens
In Italy chicken of the woods is known as “fungo In Italy chicken of the woods is known as “fungo del carrubo” (carob tree mushroom) as it’s one of the common tree hosts there. 

My favorite, and really the only traditional recipe I’ve found for them so far is simmered in a spicy tomato sauce with hot chile and capers, served with grilled bread. 

Here I add herbs too: fresh leaves of bee balm that are perfect for harvesting right now and have a flavor similar to oregano and thyme. 

Makes a really good side dish or app, especially if you shower it with a handful of pecorino before scooping it up with the bread. 

#chickenofthewoods #fungodelcarrubo #allthemushroomtags #traditionalfoods #beebalm
First of the year 😁. White-pored chicken of t First of the year 😁. 

White-pored chicken of the woods (Laetiporus cincinnatus) are my favorite chicken. 

Superior bug resistance, slightly better flavor + texture. They also stay tender longer compared to their more common yellow-pored cousins. Not a single bug in this guy. 

#treemeat #ifoundfood #foraging #laetiporuscincinnatus #chickenofthewoods
TBT brisket face 💦. Staff meal with @jesseroes TBT brisket face 💦. Staff meal with 
@jesseroesler and crew @campwandawega
📸 @misterberndt 

#staffmeal #brisket #meatsweats #naptime
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