Princes are tall, noble mushrooms with feathered, golden caps that have a square-ish, marshmallow-like shape when young. They often crop up twice in a season, and are considered choice edibles.
These beauties appeared in July along a sidewalk edged with ivy. We carefully pried them out of the ground, marveling at their long stems, and carried them home.
Click on a photo to open the gallery:
Golden, feathered heads nestled in the ivy.
White, scaly stems pushing up through the leafy litter.
Six long-legged beauties, showing some tell-tale yellow bruising.
About 640 grams.
Cleaned and trimmed.
Unbroken veils, and an unmistakable almondy scent.
What would you do with such fresh, tender, aromatic mushrooms?
Click on a photo to open the gallery and see what we did.
We carefully tore some of them lengthwise into quarters.
The rough edges cook nicely on the grill.
A little char adds so much flavour.
The rest we cut up for the pan.
Beautiful, firm flesh, and so aromatic when cut open.
Into a hot pan with olive oil and a little garlic.
Half were finished with Sherry, half with cream.
No bread required, just amazing on their own.
About two months later, the same stretch of sidewalk revealed another crop. Unfortunately, they went unnoticed for a few days and were a little past their prime when we found them.
The veils are broken, the caps have opened fully, and the edges are starting to split.
Such a great haul, although they’re starting to lose their sweet scent.
We decided to dry these in the dehydrator.
A jar full of dried Princes, still heavy with a sweet, earthy aroma. They add their famous flavour to creamy sauces and casseroles.
Wonderful post, Keith and Aya! It’s truly incredible the stubborn hold nature has in urban settings, resulting in savoury treats such as the Prince of Mushrooms amongst the ivy beside a sidewalk. Of course, you’re probably the only ones strolling past to take heed.
And thanks to you, I learned a new adjective: “phenolic”. I need to spend more time with mushrooms…
– Rob
Last year was a big one for mushrooms in and out of the city. We were certainly lucky to find these Princes so nearby and before anyone else did. I’ve added some examples of “phenolic” to make it clearer.