Black trumpets are one of the best mushrooms for candying. This is my favorite way to do it. Read on and I'll explain the basics.
Candied mushrooms? Like, with sugar? Hard pass.
Candied mushrooms are the sort of frou-frou B.S. I'd expect 15 year old me to try making, or a young cook still trying to figure out what a palette is. Honestly, I found the idea so annoying it was nearly offensive. These are mushrooms we're talking about, I mean I do make desserts with candy caps, but even with them I usually puree or use the mushroom as an infusion since the texture, is, still a mushroom. My opinion changed when I took a trip to France.
It was about 4 years ago we went on a walking trip in Provence (we did it with VBT, and it was so great. I was picking white chanterelles off the trail!). While we planned out our two week stay, Pilar asked me if there was anything I'd like to do specifically, or anywhere I'd like to go, or eat. I remember reflexively saying "Jacques Chibois and la Bastide Saint Antoine"
Chibois was one of the chefs who molded my style and sensibilities from across the pond. His first book Provence Harvest (the only one like it he's made) introduced me to things like militant seasonality, and, strangely enough, Japanese knotweed, which he grows (I hope in a concrete pot), before I ever saw it in a field guide.
We hired a driver to take us from St. Remy to Grasse (a.k.a the perfume capitol from the film Perfume) and Chibois. We walked through the old Roman olive orchard the Hotel was built on before dinner--another thing I'd always wanted to do. Dinner was incredible to say the least, and I was surprised it only had two Michelin stars instead of three. There were truffles, langoustines, wild duck, and plenty of other fun things, but the dessert, the dessert was unlike anything I'd ever seen.
La table de l'automne et les garçons rêvent des bois
The waiter brought us large round plates. It wasn't a dessert, it was a sort of composition of multiple desserts. There was a stripe of chocolate on the plate, and around it were three mushrooms the size of medium shiitakes, standing upright. Around the mushrooms were a few paper thin, chocolate oak leaves I can only assume the pastry chef made by dipping actual leaves in ganache.
Each mushroom was stuffed/made from a different autumnal flavor. One was soft hazelnut butter enrobed in paper-thin ganache, another was made from frozen chestnut ice cream.
There were other things, too, that I can't recall, but the one thing I really noticed was the candied, tender yellowfeet scattered here and there around the plate. The candied yellowfeet were great, tender little bouncy things. Naturally, Chibois had a name for the plate, and a server stepped up to the table, took a breath, and pronounced to us:
La table de l'automne et les garçons rêvent des bois
"The table of autumn, and a boy's dream of the woods"
It remains the most inspiring dessert I've ever tasted.
I tried candying black trumpets afterwords by dipping cooked black trumpets in beaten egg, then rolling in sugar and drying, but they weren't that good, and I ended up tossing them and forgetting about it for a while.
Then someone reminded me this year by insisting I try cooking golden chanterelles in syrup. I picked the candied black trumpet project back up, looked over my notes from years past, and cooked them this time in heavy syrup, heating, cooling, and repeating the process three times, along with a handful of wild aromatics like meadowsweet, galium, and a stripe of lemon peel. Then I dusted them with sugar and dried them on low heat (100-115F or so) to avoid them getting too brittle).
The candied yellowfeet (cooked in syrup I assume) were good, and I still want to try them too, but trumpets are even better. Black trumpets take to this treatment really well, since they're hollow. That thin structure means the sugar penetrates really well, and even if you dry them a little too hot, or forget about them, they'll be pretty forgiving.
The taste is excellent. The first thing you taste is black trumpet--a lot of black trumpet. The mushroom flavors sweet notes are accentuated by the aromatics, and the texture, slightly chewy, but not mushroomy (due to the sugar saturation) is really addictive. If you can stop eating them out of the jar, they'll be the perfect garnish to a dessert made from pumpkin.
Candied Black Trumpet Mushrooms
Equipment
- 1 Dehydrator
- 1 2 quart sauce pot
Ingredients
- 2 cups sugar plus more for dusting
- 3 oz fresh black trumpet mushrooms
- Pinch salt
- 1 cup dry white wine
- Aromatics see note
- A few inches of dried Galium triflorum or ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 few dried meadowsweet flowers about ½ tablespoon
- 1 inch piece of lemon zest
Instructions
- Tie the aromatics in cheesecloth if using.
- Bringthe sugar, bouquet, wine and black trumpets to a boil in a covered 1-2 quart sauce pan, then turn off the heat and cool, with the cover ajar.
- The syrup will be thick.
- Remove the mushrooms and pat dry, then lay on a silpat or place in a dehydrator, being prepared to clean up any drips.
- Sprinkle the mushrooms with sugar, then dry on a low setting (100-115F) for 6-8 hours or until dried, but still slightly pliable. Store in an air tight container in the fridge.
- They'll last for a long time, and can probably be stored at room temperature in a jar, but I habitually refrigerate or freeze candied things personally, since it keeps the flavor better.
Camilla Ward
Mr. Bergo,
As recommended, I use this recipe to candy white jelly fungus yesterday. I find it needs 130 degrees for drying, but otherwise it worked fantastic. I substituted water for the white wine, and a bag of spices I had reserved from a tea, and it turned out fabulous!
My question is, I have a delicious brown syrup left that is two watery to utilize for anything. Is there any way that I could convert (perhaps boil it down to thicken?). I am 3 weeks into my first batch of Mugolio syrup with Tamarack cones, and I'm wondering if I could top off the jars as the syrup forms incorporating this or if I would overwhelm the subtle pine flavor.
Any of your experience and creative advice would be welcome!
Jubel,
Cam
Jacques
Alan, last year I harvested a large amount of black trumpets and dehydrated most of them. Do you think maple syrup would work for this recipe or should I follow your recipe? I make my own maple syrup and the trumpets were harvested near the trees I tap. I really like the idea of keeping them together if you think it would work.
I tried your wild mushroom carbonara using chanterelles and black trumpet mushrooms and it was absolutely delicious.
Alan Bergo
Hey Jacques! You can absolutely use maple syrup. It may crystalize a bit while drying, but it's ok. They'll taste great either way.
georgia
Will this work if I only have pre dried trumpets?
Alan Bergo
Trumpets dry really well I so I'd definitely give it a shot. It should work fine. Let me know if you try it.
Shaz
Really love this recipe - flavours are so surprising. Only, help! My candied trumpets refuse to dry. What am I doing wrong?
Alan Bergo
You don't want them to be dry. they should be slightly pliable. I'll go back and make sure it reads easily. Lots of people have made this.
Amelie B
I'm curious to know if you can use the syrup afterward, and if so, any ideas?
Alan Bergo
Oh yes you can use the syrup for other things. It is especially good used to soak or brush cakes, but anywhere you would use maple is fine. You could also use it to flavor sweet wine.
Shaz
I just used some of the leftover syrup to make a soda. It tastes like an earthy cream soda. Yum.
Alan Bergo
This is a great idea.
tom
Interesting ! If that can inspire you, i just made some delicious "honey ice cream" today using dried russula melliolens, the honey-smelling russula. That's another mushroom that goes wonderfully well with sugar ! Don't know if you can find it in the US though ...