"Flat Black Mushroom" - Needed for English Recipe

[MMRuth]

I'm making a duck soup recipe, from Hopkinson once again, and it calls for "flat black mushrooms" to be included in the mirepoix. I googled, but didn't come up with anything. Any thoughts as to what this might be?

Thanks.

[MMRuth]

I did some more googling:

http://www.petermushrooms.co.uk/mushrooms.htm - I think maybe these are the ones in the bottom photos.

More photos - http://www.taste.com.au/how+to/articl...

[Harters]

Yes. Bottom left photo on "Peter". These will be anything from 2 inches across upwards. When they get up to about 4 or 5 inches across, we'd tend to call them "breakfast mushrooms". I love them grilled (broiled) for breakfast with scrambled egg on top - intense mushroomy flavour.

If you have Nigella Lawson's How to Eat, she gives a "recipe" for a mushroom "steak" sandwich. The big mushrooms, white or portobello, are fab for this - one of the best mushroom dishes I know. And I am not a Nigella fan, normally.

[Gio]

Ruth I know you Googled, but did you see this black mushroom image page:
http://tinyurl.com/3dylcy

Additionally, I have seen recipes calling for black mushrooms and in the list of ingredients only shitakes were mentioned. Perhaps one can substitute for the other....

[MMRuth]

Thanks - I googled "flat black mushrooms" - and not in images. I think I might just get some shitakes since I'm limited in my grocery shopping excursion this afternoon! I think I used to have some of those Chinese ones ages ago but think they got thrown out in a pantry cleaning - one of those "why did I buy this" things.

[pecandanish]

i would use open field mushrooms or portobello mushrooms in an english recipe where flat, black mushrooms are called for.

[MMRuth]

Thanks! Had you heard that description before?

[Harters]

MMR

Had already responded on the "cookbook" thread similar to my compatriot pecandanish's response.

John

[MMRuth]

Thank you - I saw that. Fortunately, there aren't that many ingredients that are a mystery to me. I've wondered a bit about his use of "fillet steak", as in Week In, Week Out, the photos look like cuts of meat larger than, at least, filet mignon. But he may use cuts from the larger end of the filet ....

[Harters]

What we would call "fillet steak" is definately your "filet mignon". Not my favourite cut of beef, though - not even for steak.

[MMRuth]

Not mine either - and I was a bit surprised that SH uses it quite a bit, though he does discuss something about how wonderful it tastes when properly dry-aged.