Porcini
Boletus edulis
If there is a universally popular wild mushroom, it may be Boletus Edulis. The French refer to them as cèpes, the Germans glorify them as steinpilz, and the Italians are wild about their porcini.
Boletes are different from other mushrooms in that they have pores rather than gills on the underside of the cap. Spores are released by the thousands from the inner walls of hundreds of tiny round tubes making up the lower cap surface. This spore-bearing area resembles and acts like a sponge.
Many people use different types of these "Hamburger Bun", brown-capped, bulbous-stemmed, pore-bearing early fall delicacies interchangeably with Boletus Edulis. The darkest cepes are intense and aromatic in smell but the whitest are very fine in taste.
As a rule, 3 ounces of dried cepes will equal 1 pound of rehydrated mushrooms. Much variation is found in chefs' opinions as to how long to soak them. On the average, they are soaked for about 15 minutes in warm water. The best is to soak them about 30 minutes in lukewarm water. The lengh of time depends upon the thickness of the slices.
Dried cepes have a deep, rich taste that dominates soups and sauces for polenta and pasta. When you cook with dried cepes your kitchen will be redolent with powerful fragance.
Cut mushrooms into desired sizes after soaking. In general, the larger the pieces, the more flavor. Some chefs prefer to sauté them slowly in olive oil and butter before adding them to the dish they are preparing.
You can add the remaining soaking liquid to your food preparation by carefully pouring off the concentrated essence from the top, discarding any residual matter such as sand or soil at the bottom of the vessel
