this is my contribution to FungiFriday by ewkaw
Kuehneromyces mutabilis in english Sheated Woodtuft or
Two-toned Pholiota, is one of the best tasting mushrooms i know. a real natural forest delicacy.
Fortunately they are fairly common and can most often be found growing on rotting tree stumps, especially this time of year. here in norway they are most common on birch stumps where they can be found in clusters of hundreds completely covering the stump.
today the first one i found was this single specimen on a beech stump. there is little point in picking it, after all maybe it just wants to be left alone.
then i found these three, again on a beech stump so i was becoming quite hopeful of making a real find.
while these are one of the best edible mushrooms, before you pick them you must be 100% sure you got the identification right because Funeral Bell, Galerina marginata is a deadly poisonous look alike.
while the two-toned caps are the most visible clue, the surest distinguishing feature of the sheathed woodtuft is the stem with scales below the dark ring.
ah, finally i found a stump completely covered with these tasty treats. they remind me of fried eggs, sunnyside up with the egg yolk like middle always paler than the surrounding orange-brown edge. while it is tempting to go hog-wild and take every last one, today i am picking just enough for dinner and leaving plenty behind
the stems are too fibrous so i am using just the caps. another common name for these fresh-from-the-forest delights is
Brown Stew Fungus but my favorite way of preparing these is with a newburg sauce. it is quick, easy and very delicious.
as i wash and drain the caps, i melt a good chunk of butter in an iron skillet. for this amount of fungi i use about 1/4 cup of butter and then toss in the mushrooms. they release some water as they cook.
after about 5 minutes i add 1/4 cup cream, 1/2 tsp grated nutmeg, salt and pepper. then a couple of spoonfuls of sherry if i have some. None in the cupboard today so i substitute some suitably potent homemade dry red currant wine. in a couple of minutes the aroma is divine and they are ready to serve.
ladies and gentlemen i present:
Sheathed Woodtufts Newburg