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

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Catalan Saffron Milk Caps Recipe

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saffron milkcap recipe, saffron milkcaps, I got wind of a cookbook project and began talking with the Cascade Mycological Society behind it last week.

They were looking for dishes featuring lactarius and slippery jack species, and just so happens I had a few recipes laying around I hadn’t shared. I agreed to donate 6 dishes or so for their book, which is a non-profit; all the proceeds will go to mycological scholarships.

It doesn’t surprise me they were in search of recipes for these two species, which, from my experience are really overlooked by Americans. I suspect they aren’t as popular for a number of reasons, but here are the first ones that come to mind: Slippery jacks have a “different” texture, and milkcaps have a reputation for being feasted upon by bugs.

I can attest though that large, pristine fruitings of saffron milkcaps can be found, at the right time that is.

I’ll share some more of these in the future, but for now here’s my favorite: Catalan Saffron Milkcaps. I got the idea for it after reading a passage in a great book: “Mushrooms and Russia In History”, and it’s authored by a very interesting and knowledgeable couple: Valentina Pavlovna Wasson, and Gordon Wasson, who also wrote about the SOMA, but that’s another story. See and download your own copy of the book for free here.

In the book, Valentina waxes about the fascination of mushrooms by different cultures, and discusses specific favorites of Europeans from different regions. In the excerpt, Valentina is talking about saffron milkcaps, which the Spanish call either “rovellons” or “nizcalos”. (Catalonia is a region in Eastern Spain)

“The Catalan prizes this mushroom highest of
all: he honors it above the cepe de Bordeaux. He puts his mess of rovellons into
a frying pan of very hot oil, and on top of the mushrooms he adds tomatoes
and garlic and parsley and sausage made from pork, and after cooking the whole
for ten minutes or less over a slow fire, he sits down to a dish that he considers
fit for the gods.”

After reading the description I had to make a recipe. It’s simple, delicious, and just screaming to be put on toast or pasta.

catalan saffron milkcap recipe

Catalan saffron milkcap mushroom recipe
Print Recipe
5 from 5 votes

Catalan Saffron Milkcaps

A rustic mushroom dish inspired by the Catalonia region of Spain.
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time20 mins
Course: Appetizer, Side Dish
Cuisine: Spanish
Keyword: Catalonia, Milkcap Mushroom, Saffron Milkcaps
Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 8 oz fresh saffron milkcaps sliced if large, left whole if small
  • 1/2 cup chopped peeled tomatoes
  • 4 oz bulk chorizo sausage
  • 2 tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley
  • 1 tsp chopped fresh garlic
  • Kosher salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil for garnishing preferably a peppery Spanish variety (optional)
  • High quality bread crust removed and toasted

Instructions

  • In a large saute pan, render the fat from the chorizo and brown it lightly. With a slotted spoon, remove the chorizo, leaving the fat in the pan.
  • Reserve the chorizo until needed.
  • Heat the remaining fat and add the saffron milkcaps. Cook the saffron milkcaps on medium-high heat until lightly browned and caramelized, about 5 minutes. Season the mushrooms lightly with salt.
  • Add the garlic, stir and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, reserved chorizo and parsley and cook for 5 minutes more. Double check the seasoning for salt and pepper, then serve immediately on toast garnished with a drizzle of the olive oil.

Notes

Part of what makes this recipe special is the sausage- seek out a spicy, bulk chorizo from a Latino market for this.

More

Forager’s Guide to Saffron Milk Cap Mushrooms

Related

Previous Post: « Roast Chicken “Demi-Deuil”, With Black Truffles
Next Post: The Hills Have Lobster Mushrooms »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Eileen Connor

    September 6, 2014 at 2:17 pm

    Hi Alan,
    I just found your blog and liked your facebook page (Forager Chef). Please send me the PDF book, “Mushrooms and Russia In History”, if you would.

    I just found your site after trying to ID some mushrooms. I think I have found slippery jacks and another mushroom which I thought was a puffball, but when I sliced it open it looked more like a bolete-with stem. I would like to send you a few pictures-maybe on the Forager/Chef FB page?

    Glad to know you are there. I cooked in local restaurants for about 15 years and am now practicing Chinese Medicine and painting. I am a forager too-glad to meet you!

    Reply
  2. Vicky

    January 14, 2017 at 4:05 pm

    YAY! rovellons! delish.

    Reply
  3. Steven Joubert Thorold

    April 23, 2018 at 3:10 pm

    1stly: Brilliant recipe! I have been collecting and preparing saffron milkcaps (or pine rings – the common name in South Africa for Lactarius Deliciosus) for a few years now….and although I LOVE our family recipe ( which indulges in our Asia-Afro-Europian heritage) this recipe is DELICIOUS!

    2ndly: Thank you SO much for sharing!

    …and be 3:
    I am generally not a fan of any tomato-based recipe , but this really does work!

    Note:
    We used less garlic (and freshly chopped – not pre-chopped!)

    We served this on toasted rye- bread…

    Reply
    • Alan Bergo

      April 27, 2018 at 12:22 pm

      Thats great, thanks Steven. This was a fun recipe to put together, there are not many people who can say they have prepared a Traditional recipe for Spain’s favorite mushroom.

      Reply
  4. Adam Haack

    June 27, 2018 at 1:01 am

    Dude! This recipe looks incredible and that book sounds fascinating. I picked my first batch of Saffron’s last week and can’t wait to start trying them with different recipes. If you could shoot me through that PDF I’d be eternally grateful.

    Peas

    Reply
    • Alan Bergo

      June 27, 2018 at 9:43 am

      Sent. THX.

      Reply
  5. Garry McCreath

    November 8, 2018 at 8:26 am

    Hi,
    great website, looking forward to trying some of your recipes, albeit adapted to a vegetarian version. I found you by searching for Saffron Milkcap recipes as I’ve just found my first batch. Very pleased : )

    Could you send me a copy of the mushrooms and Russia pdf please? I’ve visited Poland a few times and enjoyed the mushroom culture there, I’m interested in how it looks further East.

    Many thanks

    Reply
    • Alan Bergo

      November 8, 2018 at 9:20 am

      Just sent it, thanks for stopping by. Most recipes not based around meat here will be easily adapted for vegetarians.

      Reply
  6. Lucky

    May 12, 2019 at 3:44 am

    Hey Alan, thanks for the great milk cap recipe. We have just found some near Melbourne in Australia, they have been introduced here with pine plantations. I would love the book Mushrooms and Russia In History if you have time to send, cooking up the milk caps now!

    Reply
  7. Peter Paterson's Work Imac

    May 17, 2020 at 3:30 am

    Foraged some of these (at least I hope that are1) today in the Adelaide hills. Can’t wait to try your recipe also. Would really love a copy of your PDF too if possible please.

    Reply
  8. Eddie Wu

    May 26, 2020 at 9:42 pm

    A friend of mine gave a bag of the the milk cap mushrooms which he picked from pine plantation in South Australia.. I will try to cook them with your recipe. I am very much interested in the book Mushrooms and Russia History. Could you send me a copy ?

    Reply
    • Alan Bergo

      May 30, 2020 at 8:47 am

      I updated the post with a link to the download.

      Reply
  9. Dkbax

    October 4, 2020 at 9:40 am

    5 stars
    I’m from Valencia which is the adjecent region to Catalunya and we basically have the same culture of eating rovellons. By far the most common preparation I’ve seen for them both in Valencia and Barcelona is “a la plancha”, which is dry frying in a pan with a little oil, with garlic, parsley and sometimes lemon juice. It works very well for them and they are often made to retain that pleasant grainy texture they have. I haven’t ever seen this recipe before but It could still be authentic of course!

    Reply
    • Alan Bergo

      October 4, 2020 at 9:48 am

      I wouldn’t have given this the name “Catalan” had I not seen it in a book described as a Catalan dish. Thanks for the reference on the a la plancha preparation, I’ll be trying it on Lactarius thyinos later this week.

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Start of the Mushroom Season – Voted With Our Forks says:
    June 6, 2019 at 7:43 am

    […] enough Saffron Milkcaps for one meal. I found a good selection of recipes at the website of the Forager Chef, aka Alan Bergo. I decided to go with his Catalan style Saffron Milkcaps with chorizo. It was also good that apart […]

    Reply

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Alan Bergo
Morels: the only wild mushroom I count by the each Morels: the only wild mushroom I count by the each instead of the pound. 

Good day today, although my Twin Cities spots seem a full two weeks behind from the late spring. 2 hours south they were almost all mature. 

76 for me and 152 for the group. Check your spots, and good luck! 

#morels #murkels #mollymoochers #drylandfish #spongemushroom #theprecious
The first time I’ve seen fungal guttation-a natu The first time I’ve seen fungal guttation-a natural secretion of water I typically see with plants. 

I understand it as an indicator that the mushrooms are growing rapidly, and a byproduct of their metabolism speeding up. If you have some clarifications, chime in. 

Most people know it from Hydnellum 
peckii-another polypore. I’ve never seen it on pheasant backs before.

Morels are coming soon too. Mine were 1 inch tall yesterday in the Twin Cities. 

#guttation #mushroomhunting #cerioporussquamosus #pheasantback #naturesbeauty
Rain and heat turned the flood plain forest into a Rain and heat turned the flood plain forest into a grocery store. 

#groceryshopping #sochan #rudbeckialaciniata #foraging
Italian wild food traditions are some of my favori Italian wild food traditions are some of my favorite. 

Case in point: preboggion, a mixture of wild plants, that, depending on the reference, should be made with 5-23 individual plants. 

Here’s a few mixtures I’ve made this spring, along with a reference from the Oxford companion to Italian food. 

The mixture should include some bitter greens (typically assorted asters) but the most important plant is probably borage. 

Making your own version is a good excercise. Here they’re wilted with garlic and oil, but there’s a bunch of traditional recipes the mixture is used in. 

Can you believe this got cut from my book?!

#preboggion #preboggiun #foraging #traditionalfoods
Oh the things I get in the mail. This is my kind Oh the things I get in the mail. 

This is my kind of tip though: a handmade buckskin bag with a note and a handful of bleached snapping turtle claws. 😁😂 

Sent in by Leslie, a reader. 

Smells like woodsmoke and the cat quickly claimed it as her new bed. 

#buckskin #mailsurprise #turtleclaws #thisimylife #cathouse
Bluebell season. Destined for a Ligurian ravioli Bluebell season. 

Destined for a Ligurian ravioli as a replacement for the traditional borage greens. 

#mertensiavirginica #virginiabluebells #spring #foraging
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