Friday Fungus: St George's Mushrooms

Probably the best known of the early cropping mushrooms, these little darlings are chunky, a little chewy and full of a fruity mushroom flavour. And today - St George's Day is when we should eat them! Sadly, for those of us a little further North in England (and especially after the cold winter we've had this year) you'll be hard put to find any St George's mushrooms on St George's Day.

Just to be ironic (on this most English of days) Celtnet have one of the best guides to this mushroom:

"...it grows gregariously, and often in large fairy rings (which can be many centuries old). Young specimens are domed buttons and the cap, stipe (stem) and gills are all milky white. The cap is dry and fleshy and remains domed throughout its development, smelling strongly of meat. The cap has inrolled edges when young but flattens as the fungus ages. The stipe is ringless and tends to have a bulbous base.The mushroom is smooth with no scales. As the fungus ages the cap flattens and becomes deeper in colour to a pale tan.

The spore print is white and can only be seen on dark paper. The stipe (stem) is broad and solid often with a curve or kink in the middle. The cap measures from 5-15 cm in diameter and has a smooth texture and has ridges on it and the fungus grows to some 10 to 15 cm tall."

And, as ever Celtnet include some links to recipes for the mushroom. However, since this is Spring, I'm in Yorkshire and it's St George's Day can I suggest you serve the mushroom with lamb's liver? Just slice up the mushrooms and the liver nice and thin - marinade for and hour or two in apple juice and rapeseed oil (add a bit of salt as this helps).

Heat up a heavy frying pan or griddle and fry the mushroom and liver - only takes about 5 minutes. Then use the marinade to deglaze the pan and pour the dark sauce over the mushrooms and liver. Serve with fresh asparagus (that other English spring staple!)

Happy St George's Day!

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