“...with Sauce of Wild Mushrooms” - a guest post by Charlie

 

I have a complicated relationship with mushrooms.

I find them beautiful in nature - hugging trees, popping up out of the damp earth obscured by leaves, branches, and detritus - but ask me to eat one and my general response is something like “You know, they can kill and eat you from the inside!” I thought Suvir and I should take a Mushroom Foraging Class and go for long walks in the forest to harvest our local mushrooms, a romance for sure and a stretch of the imagination to think that my charming better half was about to walk solo with me in ANY forest! We took the class anyway, taught by Sue VanHook (wife of one of our favorite Plein-air artists George VanHook) and picked up a book on the subject...the walks, as I suspected, never came to be. But the snippet that stuck with me from that night only added to, and solidified, my general dislike of the taste, texture, and danger of mushrooms - be careful what you pick it is sometimes hard to tell the edible from the inedible, and there are species that can cause sickness and even death.

‘Nuf said, no mushrooms for me.

Unless of course they are Morels, or Chanterelles, or Hen of the Woods, or Maitake, or Oyster, or, or or....I’ll even let down my guard for the occasional Truffle. Am I a mushroom snob, or is it simply that the dishes made with these mushrooms and the  care and attention that they are given in their preparation make them so delicious? I choose to believe the latter is true.

Stuffed Portobello?........No thank you.

Undercooked or canned mushies on your pizza sir?........I’m on a cleanse!

But perfectly Browned and Caramelized Chanterelles, a Basmati Pilaf scented with earthy Morels, a Beef Stroganoff made with care - yes please.

I am telling you all of this because I recently did the unbelievable, I made a dish that called for mushrooms; and I sought them out!

As some of you may already know, Suvir has gone through a rough couple of years with his health. I do not need to go into the specifics here, but suffice to say that they were significant enough in scale that we have decided living in the rural upstate New York countryside is not the best option for us. So back to the city - and not just any city - in our world of “If you are going to make a change, go bold”, we are selling the farm and moving to New Delhi. More on that later, but one of the complications that leaves for me is freezers full of pork!

For sure we sell it on the farm and there are many customers that stop in to pic up cuts they love, but I have decided that I am going to cook and enjoy this delicious meat that I raised and share with others along the way. So, in pulling a beautiful shoulder from the freezer I found myself looking for inspiration and turned to our vast collection of cookbooks for guidance.

There were many, many great recipes that had my mouth watering and eyes popping, but the one I kept coming back to was Bay-Studded Pork Shoulder with Sauce of Wild Mushrooms from one of my favorite books, The Gift of Southern Cooking by Edna Lewis and Scott Peacock. I figured I love everything else I’ve made in this book, so why not? All else fails, the shoulder will be great and I’ll gift on the mushroom sauce to one or more of my besties that love them.

But still I was vacillating, not yet fully committed to “Sauce of Wild Mushrooms.” Then, while doing a quick supermarket run after the gym (you’ll need the gym after this recipe) I happened upon packages of mushrooms that turned my eyes, indeed my head. My beautiful mushrooms from the forest, strange and alluring, right there in front of me- in Hannaford- clean and neatly packaged, and somehow saying “Sauce Me!” I grabbed up three packages and made a dash for the checkout lane, almost forgetting everything else I’d come for.

I am not going to go into every detail of the recipe here, for I want you to go buy this book and support the authors. Trust me, you’ll be so glad you did. The adulations I’ve gotten over the years for Edna’s Pineapple Upside Down Cake alone have more than paid for the book!

The roast begins by brining the meat overnight then studding the shoulder with bay leaf, garlic and a few herbs and spices; setting it atop a bed of onions; and pouring on some port. Then covered and into the oven for a few hours, while you dash to the gym...pregaming your calorie combat is essential here.

When done, the meat will be fork tender and almost falling off the bone. Edna then instructs to remove the meat and set aside to keep warm, and to strain the liquid and skim any surface fat while cranking up the oven to turn that delicious fat rind into a mouth watering, crispy treat!

Meanwhile I am busy making the Sauce of Wild Mushrooms and some Old-Fashioned Creamy Grits...turn to pages 170-171.

I chose grits for two reasons: one- Edna said so, and two- I have artisan, stone-ground grits from my dear friend Myra Fiori’s farm. It is after all Women’s History Month, so let’s celebrate strong women and their contributions. A quick power up from a double Illy Espresso, and I’m ready to stir!

Grits are wonderful. They do not often get the praise they deserve, and any Southerner worth their muster will tell you exactly that. Plain, seasoned, syrupped, cheesed, jammed, fried, baked - they’re just plain damn good and you should enjoy them...in moderation. Like polenta, cream of wheat, or risotto they take care when cooking and a near constant eye to ensure they are smooth, creamy and tender. They are a labor of love, and you will love yourself for putting in the little bit of extra effort to make and enjoy them.

While the grits are getting going I take time to focus on the star of this meal, one of the tastiest sauces I have ever enjoyed. I love making sauce. I think that of all the culinary positions one could have, that of Saucier is where I’d most like to spend most of my time; surrounded with spices, herbs, oils, and essences creating the elements that make everything else taste so wonderful...it’s simply joyous.

The sauce begins with the mushrooms browning in hot, foamy butter. A bit of pepper, shallot, garlic and parsley get sautéed too before adding the reserved liquid from the pork and reducing it all down. A bit of cream, and a taste for salt and the sauce is done. Beautiful. With the sweet woodiness of port, earthy and nutty flavors of the mushrooms, and the richness of the butter and cream, this sauce is a true winner.

I enjoyed every mouthful of this dinner. Tender pork from my own pigs, soft and silky onions from the pot, a mixed green salad with walnut oil vinaigrette, grits from a dear friend, and a sauce that made me question why I am so hard on mushrooms. My only sadness, that Suvir was not at my side to enjoy it too...but soon.

I have not changed my mind entirely. I’ll not be ordering the Portobello Burger any time soon, but I have come to a deeper appreciation of how wonderful mushrooms can be if treated with respect and cooked with the attention they deserve.

Comments

[David Hicks]

A beautiful post. Thank you. I had no idea about Suvir's health issues. Has he shared his experience publicly? Good luck with the relocation.
David

[Suvir]

David, I have shared as and when someone asked. Not really in a way that got publicity.
Some struggles are private and best shared with those interested.
As and when people asked I shared openly.
Now I am back to near full swing.
Thanks for caring.

[David Hicks]

Good to hear Suvir. Thank you for responding.
Best,
David