Make the most of mushrooms

food and drink 13
Chef’s Table
Make the most
of mushrooms
In the first of our series of columns by local chefs,
Graeme Pallister, of 63 Tay Street Perth, talks about
the delights of the Scottish Girolle mushroom season
T
he brilliant, modest girolle
mushroom is as special to a Scottish
chef as the first of the season’s
asparagus, strawberries or grouse.
also known as the ‘golden chanterelle’,
the girolle has a delightful apricoty
aroma and a sweet, woodland flavour.
not only do they hold their colour
wonderfully when cooked, their delicate
taste lends itself to so many dishes
ranging from hearty game to simple
fried eggs with peppery lettuce.
Perthshire is the perfect nest for
the girolle as they need dark, moist
woodland. You usually find them
growing under silver birch and Scots
pine trees from July to September; but
they can be fussy creatures so a hot spell
followed by a little rain seems to make for
ideal growing conditions. it’s a forager’s
dream to come across a golden carpet
of fragrant little mushrooms poking out
of the moss. there’s something very
satisfying (and almost humbling) in
discovering this free gift from nature!
Free they may be, but time and effort
is required to gently cut their stalks and
carefully place them in a mushroom
basket — a delicate flavour needs delicate
hands! Over the years i’ve encountered
many a novice picker trying to make a
quick quid. When they casually pop into
my restaurant with a basket of carelessly
ripped-up mushrooms (spore and all) i
do tend to get a little bit passionate, and
they usually don’t return!
i remember the first time i cooked
with the Scottish Girolle, some 15 years
ago, and it happened to be in a Michelinstarred kitchen on Jersey, pretty much as
far from Scotland as i have been! it was
a simple but brilliantly executed dish of
turbot with a fragrant girolle mushroom
sauce. i still remember the distinct aroma
and discovering out how wrong this
‘wet-behind-the-ears’ commis chef was
for thinking mushrooms didn’t go with
fish. a lesson i have never forgotten.
if you do discover what you think is
an abundance of girolles (lucky you),
please have them verified by someone
who is ‘in the know’, as sometimes a
little more than an upset stomach awaits
a mistake!
l Visit Graeme’s blog www.local
honestsimple.co.uk, for a delicious
recipe of sauté of squid and girolles
on toast.
what’s hot
in the
kitchen
Our weekly round-up of
foodie news, products
and events
Down on the farm
Calling all kids aged 5-11!
With recent research
demonstrating gaps in British
children’s knowledge of food,
Graham’s the Family Dairy
are looking for a Children’s
Tasting Panel to help children
find out more about life
in the dairy. Successful
candidates will join Holly and
Douglas Graham at Airthrey
Kerse Farm in Bridge of Allan
to taste-test a variety of dairy
products.
Children aged 5-11 can fill
in the online application form
with the help of their parents
before Saturday August 31
at www.grahamsfamilydairy.
com
Say cheese!
Graeme in the
kitchen with some
of his favourite
locally-grown Girolle
mushrooms.
Pictures: John
Stevenson.
Viners’ new cheeseboard
is a handy little gadget
featuring a hinged lid which
conveniently holds a set of
four cheese tools. The board
is made from rubberwood,
making a stylish statement
on any dining table and is
suitable for serving a wide
variety of cheeses
It costs £20 from www.
viners.co.uk
Date for your diary . . .
Loch Leven’s Larder, located
on the north side of the
loch, has made a name for
itself by offering a diverse
mix of local produce, and
their delicious fortnightly
barbecues are an eagerlyawaited event. The next BBQ
is Saturday August 31, and
then September 14 and 28,
4pm-7pm. Individual food
items can be purchased
alongside Family Platters at
£10 and Children’s Platters
at £6, and if you cycle to the
Larder you get a free bottle
of wine — now there’s an
incentive!
Loch Leven’s Larder,
Channel Farm, Milnathort,
Kinross KY13 9HD. Tel
01592 841000 or visit
www.lochlevenslarder.com
Spice it up!
Join award-winning Scottish
chef Tony Singh and Cyrus
Todiwala in new foodie series
The Incredible Spice Men
as they travel the country
to show how spices can
make British food even more
delicious. Showing Mondays
on BBC2 at 8.30pm.
A very warm
Christ
mas
welcome...
chef’stip
AS A final thought, if you
have quite a large quantity,
you can also dry these
little gems for long-term
storage. Gently clean your
mushrooms by wiping with
a soft brush and trim any
damaged stalks, quickly
place in a bowl of cold
water to remove any
excess dirt and carefully
dry on a kitchen towel.
Simply lay them on some
paper in a single layer
and place in a warm, dry
environment until they’re
dry and crisp, then store
in air-tight jars. They’re
an indulgent addition to a
risotto or pasta later in the
year. Happy hunting!
Transport
from and to Dundee
Christmas Party Nights £29.95pp
Christmas Day Dinner
£39.35pp
To reserve your Christmas Day Dinner or enjoy
our Office Party Nights please contact us by
phone: 01382 350328 fax: 01382 350477
or email: cathrennies@googlemail.com
2 Mattocks Road, Wellbank, DD5 3PJ
www.cathrennies.co.uk
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