When you have such a delicate ingredient as the Boletus Edulis, the less you cook it the better. That is why this carpaccio is one of the best ways to enjoy this type of mushroom.
Life is a cycle. So once again another year Autumn comes and for two months I’m happy to eat any kind of mushroom almost every day.
Having said that, there are two types of mushrooms that I prefer over the rest… Lactarius Deliciosus (known in Spain as níscalos, robellones or rebollones as we say in Aragón) and Boletus Edulis (aka penny bun or as we know them in Spain: boletos, hongos, ceps or cepes).
For our recipe today, we will be using Boletus Edulis. This is no ordinary mushroom and not only because it is one of my favourites as I just said. For many experts, this is the king of mushrooms, the most exquisite one and the one with highest culinary value.
So delicate that we will eat it almost raw, giving it only a touch of heat to break all the flavours and intense aromas. To complement it, we will go for some Mahon, a cheese from Mallorca that will add great personality and flavour to the dish without overwhelming the boletus.
• Click here to buy Mahon cheese.
INGREDIENTS
- 200 g Boletus Edulis – also known as Ceps or Cepes
- 30 g Mahon cheese
- 6 Basil leaves
- 4 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove Garlic
- 1 sprig Fresh rosemary – leaves only (alternatively 1tsp dry rosemary)
- Sea salt flakes
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp Truffled olive oil (optional)
- Basil sprouts (optional)
- For the basil oil:
- 8 leaves Fresh basil
- 80 ml Extra virgin olive oil
- Salt
METHOD
- Wash the basil leaves, pat-dry them and place them in a blender together with 2 tbsp of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Blend well until you get a lively green coloured oil. Reserve.
- Clean the boletus thoroughly. Do not use any water to clean them as they absorb it very quickly and this damages the flavour of the boletus. Instead use a brush, some kitchen towel or a cloth, carefully removing any traces of soil that might remain on the mushrooms.
- Cut the mushrooms in very fine slices... as thin as you can. Reserve.
- Infuse the oil where the mushrooms will be cooked. To do that put some oil, the whole garlic clove – slightly crushed – and the rosemary in a cold frying pan and heat it slowly over a low-to-medium heat for around 10 minutes.
- Turn the heat up and fry the mushroom slices in the infused olive oil for 20-30 seconds each side. Take them out, pat-dry the excess of oil with some kitchen towel and place on a serving plate, forming a thin layer of mushroom, carpaccio-style.
- Season to taste with some salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper. Top with Mahon cheese flakes and drizzle some of the basil oil on top. Decorate with some basil sprouts and serve immediately.
