Wet dog anyone?

Hello, my name is Edward and I have an addiction. Mushrooms!

My mushroom fetish started very early in life and has grown constantly every year. The autumn is a great time of year for mushroom aficionados. Love them or hate them, that is when the elusive Perigord truffle is in season, and the season is now ending. There are little men and big pigs scouring the French and Italian countryside looking for these little nuggets of black gold. The smell is over powering, heady and slightly reminiscent of wet dogs on an Autumn day. They are a great luxury, currently changing hands for over £1000.00 a kilo!

My wife cannot stand the smell or taste! I have to wait patiently for a girls night out or a PTA meeting before opening the cupboard and getting out the truffle oil! Well, things are about to get a whole lot worse. Last week I bought a truffle! A 16g lump of expensive smelly stuff in a small plastic bag!! Sounds positively elicit!

I have found my prettiest little jar to pickle it in. Oh happy fungus, bathing in Madeira and Port, pride of place in the fridge, next to the home made crab apple jelly. Pickling this little chap will mean that I am able to have "nearly" fresh truffle for months, if not years, depending on how regularly he appears on the menu!

My first experience of truffles is one that I will never forget. Ever. At the time I was working at one the best Michelin establishments in England. As I was walking through the kitchen, I asked the Chef in all innocence what was the black lumpy thing on his chopping board, exuding a sort of smell that just shouldn't get the saliva glands going, but does. He stood motionless for a moment, digesting this comment and then did something I never expected, he asked if I would like a taste. He didn't just put some on a spoon though. He proceeded to make the simplest of dishes, an omelette, something that would act as a vehicle for the intense flavours, not something to over power my taste buds and scare me away. The eggs had been stored in an airtight container with more truffles so that the fragrance permeated through the shell and into the white and yolk. These were whisked with salt and pepper and nothing else. They went in to the hottest pan with truffle infused olive oil. Once set, the fresh black truffle was shaved on top, then the whole thing was folded in half and put on a warm plate. This was handed to me in silence and looking back I realise that words would have broken the magic of the moment. Sometimes words not spoken say a lot more than words spoken. This was someone at the top of his game sharing knowledge, not laughing at my ignorance, more relishing the chance to encourage someone who showed interest. I shall never forget the whole experience and the importance of not confusing innocence with ignorance. That was the day my inner Monsieur Creosote sat up and started to take notice!

There are so many types of mushrooms from the big, beefy ones to the delicate, flowery ones. Being so diverse, there are so many ways to cook and serve them. Shirley Conran said "life is too short to stuff a mushroom." Funnily enough I don't agree and here's why!

1.    Take four large flat mushrooms (two per person) and peel. Remove, chop and keep the stalks.

2.    Melt 20g of butter in a pan and on a low heat, fry one finely chopped shallot, the mushroom stalks and two rashers of finely sliced smoked bacon until the shallot is soft.

3.    In a bowl put breadcrumbs from one slice of white bread, a handful of finely chopped fresh parsley and 25g of Stilton. Crumble the cheese into small pieces.

4.    Add the shallot, bacon, stalks and butter to the bowl and mix together. Add a little more melted butter if needed to help it all bind together. Season with freshly ground black pepper. You should not need any salt, the bacon and cheese will be salty enough.

5.    Divide the mix into four and spread evenly on to the mushrooms.

6.    Place on a baking tray and put in the oven. Cook at 180° for 15 - 20 minutes until golden brown on the top.

7.    To serve, put on a plate with a little mixed salad and have with a glass of chilled sauvingnon blanc for a light lunch. Alternatively, serve with a large rib-eye steak, Caesar salad and a large glass of claret!

Most supermarkets sell truffle oil nowadays. If you have some, add it to the mix. You don't need much and it adds so much to everything you put it with.

Jean-Antheleme Brillat-Savarin said that “nothing is more agreeable to look at than a pretty gourmande in full battle dress!” So get dressed up, book a table and enjoy your weekend!