Black trumpet jam is a fantastic sweet and savory recipe using fresh or dried black trumpet mushrooms that can change the way you consider cooking with your haul.
Earlier this summer, I finally had the pleasure of meeting Chad Hyatt, chef turned freelancer and author of the book The Mushroom Hunters Kitchen. At the event we were both at, we were both doing demos, making sure each other tasted a few things here and there. The first thing that Chad put in front of my was a spoonful of still-warm black trumpet jam, and, let me tell you, it was one of the coolest things I've eaten made with black trumpet mushrooms.
The recipe, as I remember him explaining it to me (it's unfortunately not in his book) was pretty simple, a little brandy, some mushrooms, sugar and vinegar, everything cooked down to a silky black mushroom deliciousness. I took his basic recipe and made a riff on it, and, it's pretty darn close.
Sometimes I think that passionate mushroomers are a little too experimental with sweet mushroom preparations (huitlacoche ice cream, for example) but black trumpets are one of the best exceptions.
The flavor has notes of ripe fruit, like it's cousins the chanterelles, but the texture works extremely well too, especially after the mushrooms (either fresh or dried are fine) are saturated in some heavy syrup of some kind, which helps to accentuate their natural silkyness.
The finished product works well anywhere you'd use fruit jam, and I really like it with a little cheese on a cracker, especially soft, spreadable goat cheese, although anything fatty, white and creamy (brie) will work just fine. Try it out, let me know what you think, and have fun surprising people after they try some when they can't quite put their finger on what that "special something" is!
Variations
I use black trumpet mushrooms here, but there's a number of different mushrooms you could use. Golden chanterelles and candy cap mushrooms would be my top two choices.
Maple Black Trumpet Mushroom Jam
Ingredients
- 2 oz dried black trumpet mushrooms
- Water as needed to cover the mushrooms
- ¼ cup dry sherry or marsala optional but recommended
- ¾ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup white wine champagne, or apple cider vinegar
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- Fresh grated lemon zest to taste
- 1 tablespoon nut oil such as walnut
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Cover the mushrooms with warm water to cover and allow to hydrate for 10 minutes. Swish the mushrooms around to remove any grit, then remove to a cutting board and chop fine or until evenly textured (you can also pulse them in a food processor for a finer texture-your choice).
- Put the mushrooms into a wide, pot with their soaking liquid, maple syrup, vanilla, sherry, salt and vinegar, and bring to a simmer and cook until the pot is nearly dry and is sticky and shiny, about 30-45 minutes.
- Cool the mushroom jam, then add the lemon zest to taste, along with the nut oil. From here the jam can be refrigerated for 3 weeks or frozen. Use it where you would use fruit compote in dessert.
- It can be added stuffings, or warmed up on it’s own. It’s especially good with cheese based desserts, like cheesecake, blintzes, etc.
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