A wine cap gives you two textures in one mushroom. The rounded cap softens in the pan while the thick ivory stem keeps a satisfying bite. The flavor is mild and earthy, a good match for butter, shallots and grains. Known to growers as king stropharia or garden giant, Stropharia rugosoannulata takes its wine-cap name from the burgundy tones its cap can show. The mushrooms pictured here have compact brown caps and substantial pale stems.
Where to buy fresh wine cap mushrooms
Gardeners know wine caps as mushrooms that grow in wood-chip beds. Cooks have a harder time finding the harvested mushrooms. They mature quickly and seldom turn up in ordinary produce aisles. TruffleCart offers them online as whole culinary mushrooms in 5 lb packs. The full length of the stem gives you room to choose a thick cut for the grill or a thinner one for a skillet.
Give the cut side time to brown
Split the smaller mushrooms from cap to base and lay the halves cut-side down in a hot, lightly oiled pan. Leave space between them so moisture can escape. Turn once the ivory face has a golden crust, then finish with shallots and a little butter. Set the halves over soft polenta and spoon the shallot butter into the folds of the polenta.
For a barley dish, cut the larger stems into small cubes and sauté them first. Fold the cubes through the cooked barley, then lay the separately browned caps on top. A handful of parsley and a little lemon at the end bring the earthy flavor into focus.
