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

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Scaber Stalk-Gruyere Fritters

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Leccinum-Cheese FrittersCrispy on the outside, cheesy, and mushroomy on the inside, these fritters are simple to make, and can be cooked a number of ways besides frying. In a nutshell, they’re just basic pate aux choux dough with a duxelles of scaber stalk mushrooms and some cheese mixed in.

Leccinum Mushrooms Scaber Stalk

Some Dried Leccinum/Scaber Stalks.

Scaber stalks, a.k.a Leccinum mushrooms have a reputation as being a bit underwhelming flavor-wise, which is half true. Cooked up fresh, they don’t really have much going on, but after they dry, their flavor gets earthy, and rich.

Leccinum-Cheese Fritters

Mixing duxelles into the fritter batter.

When you take into account the fact that some species of these can cause gastric upset when eaten fresh and under-cooked, you can understand why I dry these most of the time when I find them, since dehydrating has the magical effect of negating tummy problems.

Leccinum-Cheese Fritters

Deep frying.

After dehydrating, you have to reconstitute the mushrooms to bring them back to life. Of course you can use them to make broth, or powder them to crust meat or fish, but to concentrate their flavor to the max, I like to cook them down in their liquid with a little shallot, herbs, and booze to make a rich, concentrated duxelles-a classic technique of preserving almost any mushroom, and one I use religiously at the restaurant.

Leccinum-Cheese Fritters

Leccinum mushroom and cheese fritters
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Scaber Stalk Fritters

Yield: 18 fritters, enough to feed a crowd, say 6-8 as an appetizer Cheesy mushroom fritters of dried Leccinum mushrooms that can be baked, deep or shallow fried
Prep Time30 mins
Cook Time30 mins
Course: Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine: French
Keyword: Leccinum, Mushroom Fritter, Scaber Stalk

Ingredients

  • 1 cup flour
  • 3/4 stick of butter 6 tablespoons
  • 1 cup chicken stock preferably homemade (you can sub water or vegetable stock too)
  • 4 large eggs not extra large or they will have too much water
  • 3/4 cup shredded gruyere or swiss style cheese
  • 1/2 cup mushroom duxelles or more if you like it really mushroomy basic recipe here
  • Kosher salt and pepper to taste
  • Frying oil as needed, 1/2 gallon or so would be fine

Instructions

  • Heat the chicken stock and butter in a small sauce pot, when it comes to a boil, add the flour all at once, reduce the heat to medium-low, and stir the mixture until it's sticky and forms a large lump of dough. Continue cooking the dough, stirring occasionally for another 4-5 minutes to make sure the water has evaporated. The dough needs to be a tight mass, the recipe won't work if it is too loose.  Keep a close eye on it so the bottom of the pan doesn't burn.
  • Remove the dough to the bowl of a stand mixer and allow it to cool for a few minutes, then on low speed, mix in the mushroom duxelles, cheese, and add the eggs one at a time, making sure the previous egg is incorporated before adding the next one. Taste a bit of the dough, and adjust the seasoning if needed. You could also mix this in a bowl with a wooden spoon and some serious elbow grease.
  • Heat the oven to a warm/holding temperature. Meanwhile, heat the oil to 350 degrees in a deep, wide pan, like a cast iron skillet. Test the oil by dropping in a little of the batter to make sure it bubbles and sizzles nicely. Keep the heat at about medium. Using two spoons, form egg shapes of the batter and drop them into the oil.
  • Cook the fritters until golden brown and cooked throughout, then remove them to the oven to keep warm while you fry the rest of the batter. Additional batter can be refrigerated for 1 day, but no longer as it breaks down and won't fry correctly.

Notes

To really be a fritter, these need to be deep fried, but you could poach them in a little salted water and then bake, or even poach and then saute, then they would be Parisienne style gnocchi.

Related

Previous Post: « Knotweed Custard Tart, With Goat Cheese Mousse
Next Post: Lobster Mushroom Hollandaise »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Liz Terrance

    September 14, 2015 at 6:54 pm

    I love everything you’ve posted, but this really looks phenomenal!

    I really appreciate all the tips on scabber stalks. I was avoiding using them because I have a sensitive tummy to mushrooms, plus I heard they weren’t all that great shakes. But with your advice on drying them, I think I’ll give them a shot next time I find them!

    Reply
    • Alan Bergo

      September 15, 2015 at 12:34 pm

      Hi Liz, yeah I haven’t ever had problems with any species of Scaber as long as they’re dried. Happy hunting to you.

      Reply
  2. Jacqui

    August 16, 2021 at 3:59 pm

    Hi Alan,
    any reason I couldn’t bake these? Instead of poaching or deep frying?
    They look like a Gougère with some duxelles tossed into the mix, and we bake gougères.
    I just duxelled up a mess of scabers plus a few of what we call False Chanterelles, Hygrophoropsis aurantiaca. I know some folks consider these poisonous but we’ve been eating them for years to no ill effect (yet).
    I was thinking of making mushroom puffs, as in pâte à choux stuffed with duxelles, because they are a bit lighter and more elegant than pierogies, but then I saw your recipe and thought I could skip the whole stuffing think.
    But perhaps this is too humid to bake up well?? Am trying to figure our why you don’t suggest piping this onto a baking sheet as an alternative. Of course I could try with a few and see what happens, then poach the rest if it’s a disaster.

    Reply
  3. Jacqui

    August 16, 2021 at 4:01 pm

    Hi Alan,
    any reason I couldn’t bake these? Instead of poaching or deep frying?
    They look like a Gougère with some duxelles tossed into the mix, and we bake gougères.
    I just duxelled up a mess of scabers plus a few of what we call False Chanterelles, Hygrophoropsis aurantiaca. I know some folks consider these poisonous but we’ve been eating them for years to no ill effect (yet).
    I was thinking of making mushroom puffs, as in pâte à choux stuffed with duxelles, because they are a bit lighter and more elegant than pierogies, but then I saw your recipe and thought I could skip the whole stuffing thing.
    But perhaps this is too humid to bake up well?? Am trying to figure our why you don’t suggest piping this onto a baking sheet as an alternative. Of course I could try with a few and see what happens, then poach the rest if it’s a disaster.

    Reply

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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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