New Mexico Wild Mushrooms
/This year’s summer monsoon has brought a lot of good to New Mexico. In the mountains, it’s been a banner year for wild mushrooms, especially the prized king boletes (boletus edulis) and chanterelles (various classifications, but commonly Cantharellus cibarius). Boletes are found throughout the northern hemisphere in North America, Europe and Asia and are known as porcini in Italy, cepe de Bordeaux in France and rodellon in Spain.
I became a wild mushroom forager in the 90s when I was assigned by Saveur Magazine to photograph the annual mushroom festival in Telluride, CO. The weekend was packed with mushroom identification classes, walks in the woods, mushroom dinners and a wacky parade where participants dressed as mushrooms. A local chef took the reporter and me to a secret spot (all mushroom spots are secret) where the forest floor looked as if it were carpeted with golden nuggets. We filled several large paper grocery store bags of golden chanterelles. During that weekend, I learned that two of the most flavorful and most easily identified wild mushrooms are the porcini and the chanterelle. I was hooked on finding wild mushrooms, first in Colorado, and now in New Mexico.
Chanterelles usually grow in flat spots in a pine forest. In New Mexico we have found them at 11,000’. Their flavor is mild and delicate and they are good sautéed in butter with shallots and a little dry sherry. Since the gills descend down the stem, a good brush is handy for cleaning them. Mushrooms are nearly 80% water, so avoid soaking them in water before cooking.
We have found porcini from 9,500 - 11,000’ during this wet summer. In the Jemez and Sangre de Cristo mountains we have found the white king boletus (boletus borrowsii) in pine forests at 8,700’. They are as tasty as the reddish brown kings.
We’ll refer to the kings as porcini, since M’tucci’s is Italian. Porcinis are found in forests throughout Italy and are sold fresh in markets during the summer and fall. In NM, unless you forage for them, you probably will only find them dried and sold in small packets. The good news is that they lend themselves to drying, which intensifies the flavor. They are easy to reconstitute in room temperature water. Save the soaking water and after straining it, reduce it for use in a sauté, in pasta sauce or in risotto. We dry the entire mushroom, mostly using the stems in soup.
When foraging, remember that smaller is better. The larger porcini are older and usually not as flavorful (and sometimes already full of maggots). When you have an abundance of fresh porcini, cook them in a variety of ways. The Italians like to grill or sauté them. In Calabria, they bread and deep fry the slices. A Japanese method is to add sliced porcini to a foil packet with a ponzu butter and cook the packet on a hot grill.
The one in my left hand is good for a funny photo, but it’s too big and too old to be good to eat.
If you decide to join the growing community of mushroom gatherers, educate yourself by buying books or field guides and studying the descriptions of wild mushrooms. Join a mycology group and learn from experts. While the internet can be loaded with misinformation, there is a really good Facebook page called Mushroom Hunters of New Mexico. It’s a good source of information.
Mushrooms propagate by spreading their microscopic spores, so use a mesh, canvas or paper bag to collect them. Plastic bags prevent spore spreading and will contribute to a rapid decline to the quality of the mushrooms. Also, if you are collecting a mushroom and you are unsure of its identity, do not place it in a bag with edible mushrooms. If it is a toxic mushroom, it will infect your edible mushrooms rendering the entire collection inedible.
The safe rule for wild mushrooms is: If you don’t know what it is, don’t eat it!
Enjoy wild New Mexico mushrooms tonight at M’tucci’s Italian, where one of the Weekend Specials is Mushroom Trio Ravioli: Ravioli stuffed with Fresh Porcini and Goat Cheese then tossed in a Mushroom Cream Sauce with Fresh Chanterelles, Wild Mushrooms, Sun Dried Tomatoes and Caramelized Onions.
Mushroom Trio Ravioli - only at M’tucci’s Italian
Don’t Miss this Unique Dinner at M’tucci’s Moderno
M’tucci’s Company President John Haas on the Front Page of Friday’s Journal.
Albuquerque Journal, Friday August 26, 2022
Two New M’tucci’s Wines Arriving This Week
Weekend Specials
M’tucci’s Italian
Ravioli - Porcini/Ricotta filled: Chanterelle Mushrooms, Wild Mushrooms, Sun Dried Tomatoes, Caramelized Onions, Prosciutto, Mushroom Cream Sauce $27
14 oz Ribeye: Crispy Salt Water Potatoes, Grilled Asparagus, Grilled Lemon, Balsamic Reduction $37
Pan-Seared Barramundi: Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Sautéed Arugula, Grilled Artichokes, Lemon Caper Sauce $33
Braise - Milk Braised Lamb, Creamy Risotto, Asparagus, Fennel, Spring Onion, Lemon Zest $31
Weekend Cocktail
Fresa Blanca - Tequila Blanco, Tonic Water, Fresh Fruit
M’tucci’s Moderno
14 oz. Ribeye - Traditional Italian Salsa Verde, Crispy Saltwater Potatoes, & Grilled Asparagus $39
Pan-Seared Mahi Mahi - Roasted Artichoke, Braised Escarole, Mashed Potatoes, Caper Lemon Butter Sauce, & Smoked Prosciutto Powder $29
Shrimp Diavolo Pasta - Pink Shrimp, Caramelized Onions, Green Chiles, White Wine Marinara Sauce and House Made Spaghettini $19
Weekend Cocktail
Chile Roaster - Green Chile Vodka, Fresh Lime Juice, Simple Syrup, Orange Bitters, Torched Rosemary
M’tucci’s Twenty-Five
14 oz. Hand-Cut Herb Rubbed Ribeye - Grilled Broccolini, Whipped Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Smoked Blackberry bone Marrow Butter $39
Pan-Seared Swordfish - Garlic Whipped Potatoes, Sautéed Arugula, Stem on Artichoke Hearts, Lemon Butter Caper Sauce $33
Frutti di Mare - Baby Bay Scallops, White Shrimp, Clams, Mussels, Spicy San Marzano Sauce & House Made Linguine $29
Weekend Cocktail
Treaty of the Pyrenees - Sazerac Rye Whiskey, DOM Benedictine, Licor 43, Bittermens Tiki Bitters
M’tucci’s Bar Roma
Pan-Seared Mahi Mahi - Garlic Whipped Mashed Potatoes, Braised Arugula, Garlic, Pan-Seared Artichoke Hearts, Lemon Caper Butter Sauce $29
Five Cheese Ravioli - Mushrooms, Caramelized Onions, Seared Beef Tips, Porcini Brodo with Fresh Herbs $25
Weekend Cocktail
No Time to Yuz - Effen Yuzu Citrus Vodka, Fresh Lime Juice, Fresh Grapefruit Juice, Simple Syrup, Fresh Thyme
Live Music for August & September
M’tucci’s Bar Roma - Wed 6:30-8:30. Sunday noon-2pm
8/28 Austin Van
8/31 RJ Perez
9/4 Rob Martinez
9/7 Shane Wallin
9/11 Shane Wallin
9/14 Sloan Armitage
9/18 Amy Faithe
9/21 Chessa Peak
9/25 John Martinez
M’tucci’s Twenty-Five - Thursday 6:30-8:30 * Friday 7:30-9:30
8/26 Chessa Peak
9/1 Austin Van
9/2 Jacob Chavez
9/8 Paul Hunton
9/9 Alex Maryol
9/15 Melissa Rios
9/16 RJ Perez
9/22 Amy Faithe
9/23 Lani Nash
9/29 Chessa Peak
9/30 Jacob Chavez
M’tucci’s Moderno - Thursday 6:30-830 *Friday 7:30-9:30
8/26 RJ Perez
9/1 Lani Nash
9/2 Chessa Peak
9/8 John Martinez
9/9 Russel Ash
9/15 Shane Wallin
9/16 Cali Shaw
9/22 Melissa Rios
9/23 Alex Maryol
9/29 Austin Van
9/30 Paul Hunton
Thanks for reading. See you next Friday. Ciao!
