John Wright
LATIN NAME
Agaricus arvensis
SEASONALITY
Late summer and autumn
HABITAT
Fairly common in fields
MORE RECIPES
Hedgehog mushroom and bacon omelette; Sautéed mushrooms with juniper; Field mushroom and celeriac pie
The horse mushroom, and the similar but less tasty macro mushroom, are found in similar habitats to that of the field mushroom – fields, and often in rings. They can be enormous, filling an entire frying pan, and this, together with their similarity to very large cultivated mushrooms, makes them easy to identify. Do not be put off by their tendency to bruise yellow. Unlike the poisonous ‘Yellow Stainer’ (see Field mushrooms), the colour change is slow, not instant, and the yellow persists and intensifies, whereas it turns to brown after 15 minutes in the Yellow Stainer.
Since horse mushrooms are so impressive, it seems a shame to chop them up, so I usually fry them whole in well-salted butter, turning them after a few minutes. The texture is a little chewy and the flavour a glorious mixture of mushroom and sweet almond. They also grill beautifully, their surface coated in salt and melted butter. If you grill the top of the cap first, you have the opportunity to fill the gill surface with cheese, breadcrumbs or whatever you fancy when you turn them over.
If you have a glut, horse mushrooms dry very well: slice them thinly (about 2mm) and arrange on a rack. Put them in the oven, on its lowest possible setting, with the door ajar. Leave the mushrooms until completely dry and a little crisp – this should take 5–6 hours. Alternatively, use a dehydrator. Store the dried mushrooms in jam jars, with lids on tight, and use within a year. It is also worth powdering dried horse mushrooms to provide an instant mushroomy burst to sauces and soups.
Unfortunately, these fungi do have a tendency to attract maggots. Everyone has their acceptable maggot to mushroom ratio. Mine is 1:10. When the mushrooms are cooked slowly, the maggots emerge and you have the chance to scoop them out. Horse mushrooms often have mysterious little v-shaped holes in their caps. These are caused by crows, who like maggots more than we do.
SPICED HORSE MUSHROOM AND BEETROOT ‘BURGER’
This is a positively meaty treat, thanks to the texture and flavour of this beautiful wild mushroom. If you’re not a huge beetroot fan, use carrot instead. Serves 4
1 medium (tangerine-sized) raw beetroot
½ tbsp cider vinegar
A good pinch of sugar
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
2 tbsp olive or rapeseed oil, plus an extra dash
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
A pinch of dried chilli flakes (optional)
4 large (but not gigantic) horse mushrooms
4 tbsp plain wholemilk yoghurt
2 tbsp chopped mint or coriander, or a mix of both
A bunch of spring onions, trimmed and thinly sliced
Sea salt and black pepper
4 large baps, to serve
Peel the beetroot and cut it into very thin matchsticks using a mandoline or sharp knife, or grate it coarsely. Combine with the cider vinegar, sugar and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Set aside (you can do this several hours in advance).
Using a pestle and mortar, roughly bash the cumin and coriander seeds. In a small bowl, combine the 2 tbsp oil with the garlic, bashed seeds, and the chilli, if using. Season with salt and pepper and mix well.
Preheat the grill to high. Place the mushrooms, gill side up, on a baking tray and brush them with the spiced, garlicky oil. Grill for 4–5 minutes, then turn them over, brush on some more oil and grill their tops for another 4–5 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine the yoghurt with the herbs, spring onions and a dash of oil.
Slice open the baps. Lay a whole grilled mushroom on each and trickle over any cooking juices from the baking tray. Top with a spoonful of beetroot and another of herby yoghurt, put the top back on the bap, and serve.