Dried Mousseron Mushrooms
Mousseron Mushrooms, also called "Scotch Bonnet" or "fairy ring" mushrooms due to their ring-shaped growth pattern, have small, golden-brown caps and very slender stems. Their pungent aroma and robust flavor are similar to porcini mushrooms.
Suggested uses
Basic prep
Rinse and agitate mushrooms with your fingers under cold running water to remove any possible debris. To rehydrate prior to use, place desired amount into a bowl covered with boiling water and let soak 15 to 20 minutes. Rinse well. Or, add directly to any recipe that will cook for at least 25 minutes.
Storage & handling
Store in a dry, cool place.
Ingredients
Mousseron mushrooms.
Mousseron Mushrooms (Marasmius oreades), also called fairy ring mushrooms due to their circular-shaped growing patterns, have small, flat, golden-brown caps with slightly domed centers, creamy-white, widely spaced gills and very thin stems. They grow in rings, often in grassy fields or lawns, all connected to a central underground mycelium that hijacks the nutrients in the soil and causes the grass within the ring to die in order to produce the mushrooms around its perimeter. These rings grow larger in diameter year after year, with the grass toward the center eventually recovering, as the mycelium grows outward, looking for new food sources.
Mousseron Mushrooms grow in the warm, wet late spring and summer months in eastern North America and many parts of Europe, and flourish year-round in the Western United States, especially California.
These small mushrooms have a deceptively robust flavor and pungent aroma that is reminiscent of porcini and works well in a wide variety of dishes, from poultry and meat to pizza, pasta and risotto. They are often dried, and can rehydrate almost to their original fresh state.
Classic recipe
Chicken Smothered in Mousseron Mushrooms
Robust, earthy Mousseron Mushrooms taste a bit like umami rich Porcini Mushrooms. Mousseron Mushrooms hold their shape well and maintain a little chew.
