“He was more distracted than usual at work; he thought that while he was there unloading packages and crates, in the darkness of the earth the silent, slow mushrooms, known only to him, were maturing their porous pulp, assimilating underground juices, breaking the crust of the clods. «All it would take is one rainy night, – he said to himself, – and they would already be ready to harvest». And he couldn't wait to tell his wife and six children about the discovery." This is how Marcovaldo, the protagonist of the famous story “Marcovaldo or The Seasons in the City” by Italo Calvino, reasoned. But those mushrooms discovered on a strip of flowerbed on a city street while he was waiting for the tram to go to work ended up mostly in the basket of an unpleasant street cleaner who was faster than him.
Much more pleasant in our times than looking for mushrooms along the metropolitan tram tracks, take advantage of this rainy autumn and go through the countryside and woods to fill rich bags of mushrooms, being guided by their intense scent. Autumn is the best season to go mushroom picking, enjoying a relaxing day in the company of friends and relatives, peering under the leaves, among the mosses, among the roots of the trees, taking on, to make it more pleasant, a challenge of searching for the bigger pig. But not only porcini mushrooms, but also chanterelles, chanterelles, chiodini, the trumpets of the dead, the field mushrooms, the green doves, the dogwoods, the piopparelli, the drumsticks, to be cooked then sautéed, fried, roasted, as a condiment for a tasty and scented or paired with a meat recipe with intense flavors.
In Italy you can go mushroom hunting in almost all regions. The best places are deciduous forests, but also meadows, pastures, mountains to stock up on health, and yes because mushrooms are not only tasty but also have many beneficial properties for the human organism.
We read from the Humanitas website that mushrooms “promote intestinal well-being by providing fibre. Furthermore, they are a source of proteins with high biological value and linoleic acid, an essential fat precursor of molecules involved in the regulation of inflammation, immunity, blood pressure and platelet aggregation. Among their minerals, some perform an antioxidant function (manganese and selenium), others protect the health of bones and teeth (calcium and phosphorus), still others help protect cardiovascular health (potassium, which regulates heart rate and blood pressure ). Added to their action is that of vitamins: vitamins A and C have an antioxidant action, vitamin D is important for bone health and vitamin K is important for good coagulation. The B vitamins, on the other hand, guarantee a good functioning of the metabolism".
But for those who love the pleasures of a ready-made table invaded by the scents of the forest, the advice in this season is to take a trip to Pescopagano, a town at 954 meters above sea level with 1700 inhabitants, totally immersed in greenery, overlooking a cliff which dominates the entire Ofanto valley, in the shadow of the remains of the XNUMXth century castle from which it is possible to extend the gaze onto an extraordinary panorama of greenery and woods. A country that is not only a concentration of biodiversity but which keeps alive the traditions of the past such as the preparation of meat and cheese from the Podolica breed, a specialty to which a festival is also dedicated and exquisite preparations of dishes based on mushrooms and truffles.
The custodian of the gastronomic tradition of this little natural paradise is the La Corniola restaurant, a family business led with loving care by two close-knit brothers and their relatives. As a business card they can boast a quote in the Michelin guide which immediately gives an idea of what we are talking about "If the town of Pescocostanzo is renowned throughout Italy for its bobbin lace, the true flavors of Abruzzo have found a home in Corniola: polenta grilled meat, mountain lard, juniper smoked ricotta and last, but not least, the proverbial saffron. All refined and revisited with passion.”
In the kitchen, the leadership is entrusted to Concezio Gizzi, 42 years old with a good dose of affability, courtesy and fair play. With great modesty he describes himself like this: "I have practically always lived in my town Pescocostanzo, in the province of L'Aquila. I started frequenting kitchens at a very young age, first in mountain huts and then, having obtained my diploma as an electrotechnical expert, I started working in restaurants in my town; in the meantime I followed many courses and internships also in starred restaurants such as Da Caino in Montemerano which gave me the opportunity to deepen and improve my cooking techniques then, in 2006 with my sister Lucia always at my side and my wife Barbara we opened the La Corniola restaurant”.
The result is that you sit in this restaurant entrusted to the care of the amiable and polite sister Lucia, the restaurant manager, and you feel the pleasure of finding yourself in a friendly environment that treats the guest like a member of the family, instead enjoying high quality dishes and local identity. The philosophy of the restaurant is predominantly mountain cuisine, the raw materials - needless to underline - are genuine local ones, cooking techniques manage to find the right balance between innovation and tradition. In short, the right reward for having climbed up there in this ancient town so far from the frenzy of everyday life and so rich in traditions to experience a day of naturalistic and gastronomic emotions.
The recipe for “Porcino, potatoes and hazelnuts” proposed to the readers of Mondo Food – explains the chef – “best expresses belonging to our territory: glazed porcini mushrooms with a veal base, mountain potatoes and hazelnut for crunchiness. This dish smells of our woods and the flavor is strong like the mountain people."
The recipe for “Porcino, potatoes and hazelnuts”
Ingredients for 4 people:
4 porcini mushrooms,
40 g of mashed potatoes,
15 g of dried porcini water,
30 g of veal sauce,
5 g of dry Marsala,
1 clove of garlic,
1 sprig of marjoram,
hazelnuts,
extra virgin olive oil,
salt
pepper
Procedure:
Place the well-cleaned porcini mushrooms in a vacuum-packed bag, flavored with a clove of garlic, thyme, a drizzle of oil, a pinch of salt and a pinch of pepper. Cook at 65 degrees in a steam oven for 12 minutes, once the mushrooms are cooked let them cool. In a saucepan, heat a drizzle of oil, pour in the mushrooms and brown them until they are golden brown, then add the dry Marsala, add the porcini water and lower the heat of the flame. Add the veal sauce and glaze them.
Introduction
In a serving dish, place a spoonful of mashed potatoes, place the mushroom and finish with grated hazelnuts and a few marjoram leaves.
