All about mushrooms

As with all my cooking, mushrooms bring back a little piece of my childhood

"I have a special affection for mushrooms. My father, not content just to lovingly grow all kinds of vegetables, also roamed the forests to collect their treasures. When he wasn't in his vegetable garden, he was in the woods; in the spring, he would walk through the undergrowth and along the edges of the meadows, only about 20 metres from our house to see if the morels had come up. He'd go to the 'morel corner' for a half-hour every morning and evening, each time bringing back a little handful, and after a few trips there were enough to provide a treat for everyone.

"On the beautiful days of the first frosts, my father loved to go out, as if tracking some small immobile game. In fact, we talk about 'hunting' mushrooms rather than gathering them, and it's true that this activity awakens in us the hunter's instinct much more than does gathering flowers or picking berries. Is it their animal-like colour, the velvetiness of their caps, their wild scent, the thrill you feel when you track them down? They seem to crouch consciously in their stump hollows, in their nest of leaves or their little tuft of green grass. To begin with, the emotion you feel in setting out to look for mushrooms is very specific - this hunt mobilizes all the senses, sharpens sight, hones smell and invites touch once you finally discover what you've been seeking. Then the exultation of the find combines with the satisfaction of drawing one's food from nature: it's a very ancient pleasure, with roots far back in human history, even if we no longer depend on mushrooms to ensure our subsistence. A kind of 'game' coveted by gathering civilizations, mushrooms represent, more than any other foodstuff, the human and primitive side of cooking. They are never far removed from the rustic and artisanal. They evoke a free gift from the earth, a life in harmony with nature, which is why - not to underestimate the gustatory pleasures that they provide - mushrooms are so fascinating to man. They are a reminder of our biological roots. They follow the motion of the seasons, governing the rhythm of the gatherers' sacred calendar. In the country, the year consists of a series of 'firsts,' each bringing its own particular pleasure: the first cherries, the first strawberries, the first new potatoes, the first chanterelles, the first morels. It is a whole pattern of impatient anticipation and satisfaction that imparts a benediction to life lived in the midst of nature.

"We didn't restrict ourselves to common varieties like morels, ceps and chanterelles. Father was also familiar with many other edible varieties, and so we had horns of plenty, milk caps, waxy caps, parasols, shaggy mane mushrooms - which had to be eaten young - meadow mushrooms, field mushrooms… My mother prepared the latter with a little chopped parsley, garlic and shallot, or else lightly bound with cream. I have retained a biding passion for all these things.

"I have always loved chanterelles and meadow mushrooms, which have provided me with some of my most vivid taste memories. Meadow mushrooms are fascinating when they grow in rings or in trails in the meadows; their perfume in fact makes them very precious: rich and acidic, they possess a touch of bitterness and a hint of fresh flour taste. To find them and smell them is a magical experience."

The strong flavour of mushrooms can often compensate for having a small quantity. It's not every day that one can enjoy a whole plate of golden agaric mushrooms. But there are wild mushrooms of which just a tiny hint can transform a whole dish. I'm not speaking here of truffles but of the anise-flavoured clitocybe mushroom, which is a valuable condiment. A quarter of this little mushroom is enough to strongly flavour a whole dish of langoustines in broth, to which I add it shortly before serving. I then use tarragon as a back-up, which harmonizes with the anise flavour of the clitocybe: the latter adds a rich note that suits the dish. This is only one of many ways of using mushrooms as a condiment.

These miraculous plants have the ability to serve as main dish, accompaniment, ingredient or spice.