The Deceiver mushroom has always been noted as bland, and most foragers don't rate them highly, so I thought of a way to uplift its taste. Unlike other mushrooms that go soggy when cooked, the Deceiver keeps its shape and crunch, which I think makes it special. Plus, it can come in different colours.
I went to the woodland this morning, and as expected, the Deceivers are out.
What I got here is The deceiver-Laccaria laccata
Deceivers are not for novice foragers as these mushrooms are known for their deceptive appearance, they grow in variations hence their name and they can look quite similar to other mushrooms.
The gills are widely spaced and mixed with short ones, and their spores are white.
Their stem is fibrous and a bit hairy towards the base.
It is important to be cautious about LBMs (Little Brown Mushrooms). There are many of them, and they can be difficult to identify. Some can be toxic or even deadly. It took me a couple of years to observe the differences between the LBMs before I confidently ate one.
So, I picked a few; they are not in full bloom, but I managed to get enough to make a starter.
I cleaned them and cut off the end of the stem. People think the stem is rubbery, but I don’t find it that way. In fact, it’s nice to chew on.
After cleaning them, I put them in a pan, poured hot water over them, and boiled them for 2 minutes.
I drained them and then decided what spices to add. You can use any spices or flavors you like.
As it was an experiment, I mixed in a few spices, but I can tell you that they would go well with sesame seeds, sesame oil, a bit of honey or sugar, some salt, a dash of rice vinegar, and a bit of soy sauce, together with shredded carrots! You can eat this as a very delicious starter salad.
With all the mixed ingredients, it was very nice.
However, I wanted to try it with some umami flavor to elevate the mushroom flavour more, so I decided to ferment some. I added 2% salt and mixed it all well.
I first weigh all ingredients and multiply the weight by .02, which equals the total amount of salt required.
I packed them in a jar to ferment for 5 days to enhance the flavor even more!
I'll surely enjoy the tanginess, sweetness, saltiness, and umami of the mushrooms combined with their earthiness!
It's inspiring to take a mushroom that's often overlooked and turn it into something special. There's always something unique and special about them.
Happy Fungi Friday! 🌿🍄
Mariah 😊💗
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