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

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Caramelized Puffball Puree

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Caramelized Puffball PureeGenerally speaking puffballs are large, very large. Most of them that I find can’t even be put in a refrigerator.  I luck out since I have giant walk in coolers where storing food of any size is no problem at all. At home this poses an obstacle though. I have lots of friends that hunt mushrooms, and not surprisingly, many of them pass on puffballs when they see them since storing them is tricky, which means they have to be eaten right away.

There are a couple options though, like storing them outside if it’s in the fall and the temp drops down to a reasonable degree for storing them without freezing. You can also try slicing and dehydrating, and then powdering them, which works well but takes a long time.

Most often what I end up doing is preserving puffballs somehow, this year, I found a whole bunch by accident and needed a quick way to store them that would be quick and easy. I was thinking about the way that I make caramelized dairy based sauces, and also dulce de leche when a new way of treating these things hit me: I should puree the puffballs to cook out their water weight, then slowly caramelize the puree to deepen their flavor.

The caramelized puree ends up being a little wierd looking during the cooking process, but the end result is fantastic, a smooth puree of puffball concentrate that takes up an amount of space in the freezer that’s negligible-I cooked 25 lbs down to about 2 qts of puree.

Once the puree is made, your imagination is really the limit. Sauces, soups, stuffings, and compound butters I’ve made have all been excellent. Unlike some mushrooms too, there isn’t a hint of bitterness at all either, just smooth, buttery puffball. Did I mention you don’t even need measurements to make it?

Caramelized Puffball Puree

Caramelized Puffball Puree
Print Recipe
2.5 from 2 votes

Caramelized Puffball Puree

Prep Time30 mins
Cook Time3 hrs
Course: Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Mushroom Puree, Puffball Mushrooms, Puree

Equipment

  • Food processor, Blender

Ingredients

  • Puffball mushrooms
  • Salt
  • Chilled diced unsalted butter, as needed
  • Lard or oil as needed
  • Warm water as needed for pureeing

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 300. Clean and peel the puffballs, then chop them into 1 inch cubes. Put the chopped puffballs into the biggest stockpot with a lid you have, then add a cup or two of water so the puffballs don't scorch on the bottom. Cover the pot, then turn the heat on medium, stirring occasionally, until the puffballs are wilted and have started to give up their water. At this point, the puffballs will have turned varying shades of nasty looking blue and gray, don't worry, this is natural, it happens when puffballs are exposed to moist heat.
  • As the puffballs wilt and give up their water, more space will be created in the pan, if you have more mushrooms to add, do so and repeat the process, just make darn sure they don't burn on the bottom.
  • When the mushrooms are wilted and soft, begin transferring them to the bowl of a blender to puree. If you have difficulty getting the puree to be smooth, add some warm water until the blades of the blender begin to buzz it all up.
  • When you have a smooth puree, transfer it to a very wide pan that you've greased liberally with lard or oil. Put the pan in the oven and cook, whisking every 15 minutes or so, until most of the water has evaporated and the mixture is browned and caramelized. Eventually the puree will break and end up looking like cooked ground beef, don't worry this is normal.
  • When the puree is nicely browned and evenly caramelized, remove the pan from the oven and allow the puffball matter to cool to room temperature. When the butter has come to room temperature, put batches of it in a food processor and process it, adding small amounts of chilled butter, a tablespoon at a time until a velvety puree is formed.
  • Once you have a smooth puree, remove it to a container with a tight fitting lid, label, date, and refrigerate or freeze until needed. It's possible to over process the mixture and break it if the puffball mixture is too warm, or if it's processed for too long, if that happens, you can drain the butter from the mixture, cool the puffball puree, and repeat the process with some more chilled butter.
Smoked Hanger Steak with Dandelion Puree and Puffball Butter
Print Recipe
No ratings yet

Caramelized Puffball Butter “Maitre’d Hotel”

Caramelized Puffball Mushroom Compound Butter
Prep Time30 mins
Course: Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine: French
Keyword: Compound Butter, Puffball mushroom

Ingredients

  • 1 lb caramelized puffball puree see recipe
  • ½ lb unsalted butter
  • ¼ cup choppd Italian parsley
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • Juice of one lemon plus the zest, microplaned

Instructions

  • Bring the butter and puffball puree to room temperature, then process in a food processor until smooth and combined. Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl and stir in the salt, lemon zest, juice, and parsley. Form the butter into a 1 inch log, wrapping in plastic wrap, then label, date, and refrigerate until needed. The butter can also be frozen.

Notes

After you make the puree above, you can use it to make things like this. The puffball butter is a concentrate, so it needs to be cut with something, in this case a little more butter for a variation on classic Maitre'd butter. It's excellent on steaks, of course. 
Smoked Hanger Steak with Dandelion Puree and Puffball Butter

An example of how to serve the butter. This was from a rare beer dinner at the Salt Cellar in 2015. Smoked hanger steak, dandelion-spinach puree, Parisienne potatoes, fried lichens, and puffball butter.

More

Puffball Mushrooms

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Hilda

    March 25, 2016 at 9:51 am

    This is a brilliant use of and way to preserve puffball mushrooms. Assuming I find some this year I will definitely be making this.

    Reply
  2. Dan

    March 25, 2016 at 10:26 am

    Now… that is one of the most inventive ideas I have seen in a long time!! The stuff you come up with sometimes amazes me!

    Reply
  3. scotty wickham

    March 26, 2016 at 12:37 am

    In northern British Columbia Canada the puff ball are on average about 1 to 2″ in dia. although I have heard of them being around 2′ in diameter down around Lytton in the frazer valley which is a lot hotter than up here. I love the small ones as they are.

    Reply
  4. Trisht

    March 27, 2016 at 12:04 pm

    In addition to you providing us with Puffball Ravioli this is also an excellent use. I have dehydrated slabs in my convection oven and turned them into a mushroom flour. The color is similar, the flavor much increased but the odor as they are drying is very offensive, much like cleaning out the barn! I then use the flour much the same way you have. But I think next time I will forgo the smelly mess and cook down instead. Thank you again!

    Reply
  5. Trish

    March 30, 2016 at 12:19 pm

    aside from the very ingenious and tasty Ravioli recipe you have previously given this is the best idea yet for the strange Puffball. I have dehydrated slabs of the thing in my convection oven and do NOT want to do that again. The smell was very offensive, like cleaning out the barn! But I ended up with a very flavorful powder that I use as a flour to season dishes with. So glad I will not have to do that again. Thank you!

    Reply
  6. Carol Day

    May 28, 2016 at 3:52 pm

    HEY WE FOUND ONE ON OUR RURAL B,C property last week 32 inches around 12 inches wide and 6 kilos!!!!

    Reply
  7. Aaron

    May 28, 2016 at 8:12 pm

    Sounds like giant puffballs. There are many varieties.

    Reply
  8. Joanne Burnett

    October 6, 2016 at 3:41 pm

    I’m trying the caramelized puree recipe. I have been processing puffballs every day this week. They are literally popping up over night! I haven’t had to walk very far( less than half a mile) to collect them. Thank you for the recipes. They are very well written.
    Joanne Burnett

    Reply
  9. Bill

    November 19, 2017 at 10:08 pm

    Neat idea. What proportion of butter to puffball do you generally use and what exactly is the purpose of the butter aside from deliciousness? When does the salt enter the picture?

    Reply

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Alan Bergo
Milkweed buds are the second-best edible part of t Milkweed buds are the second-best edible part of the plant, besides the pods in my opinion. They need to be cooked to be edible. 

I only pick from common milkweed in areas where there’s very large colonies. 

I leave some buds to flower on each plant, I also avoid any tops that have insects or monarch caterpillars. Plenty of food to go around. 

#milkweedisafoodplant #foraging #milkweedbuds #asclepiassyriaca
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
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