Salted Mushrooms of the Northern Forests
Forest mushrooms salted and lacto-fermented, firm and tangy, served cold as *zakuski* with onion, a drizzle of oil, and dill. A lively bite that whets the appetite.
Forest mushrooms salted and lacto-fermented, firm and tangy, served cold as *zakuski* with onion, a drizzle of oil, and dill. A lively bite that whets the appetite.
In the time of autumn rains, we went to the woods to fill baskets with mushrooms, and woe to anyone who returned empty-handed! We lay them in salt in tight layers, put a stone on top, and waited patiently for winter to make them firm and pungent. Serve them well chilled, with a little onion and dill, as the first treat before the soup — that is how one keeps table until the thaw. Salt and patience are worth more than all the money in the world when the snow falls.
- •Firm forest mushrooms (milk caps, porcini) — full basket (base)
- •Coarse salt — as needed (preservation)
- •Blackcurrant and horseradish leaves — a few (firmness and perfume)
- •Garlic, dill umbels — to taste (aromatic)
- •Peppercorns, bay leaf — a few (seasoning)
Salted Mushrooms of the Northern Forests
Forest mushrooms salted and lacto-fermented, firm and tangy, served cold as *zakuski* with onion, a drizzle of oil, and dill. A lively bite that whets the appetite.
Why this dish? From the Baltic and Russian lands covered with forests, Catherine belonged to a world where autumn mushrooms were salted to survive the winter. These jars were among the indispensable *zakuski*, from cottages to palaces — a taste of childhood for an empress born a peasant.
In the time of autumn rains, we went to the woods to fill baskets with mushrooms, and woe to anyone who returned empty-handed! We lay them in salt in tight layers, put a stone on top, and waited patiently for winter to make them firm and pungent. Serve them well chilled, with a little onion and dill, as the first treat before the soup — that is how one keeps table until the thaw. Salt and patience are worth more than all the money in the world when the snow falls.
Ingredients (period version)
- Firm forest mushrooms (milk caps, porcini) — full basket (base)
- Coarse salt — as needed (preservation)
- Blackcurrant and horseradish leaves — a few (firmness and perfume)
- Garlic, dill umbels — to taste (aromatic)
- Peppercorns, bay leaf — a few (seasoning)
Ingredients
- Firm mushrooms (cremini, oyster, or porcini) — 1 kg (base)
- Coarse non-iodized salt — 40 g (lacto-fermentation)
- Garlic cloves — 3 (aromatic)
- Dill (umbels or fresh) — 1 bunch (perfume)
- Bay leaves, peppercorns — 2 leaves, 8 grains (seasoning)
- Onion and oil at serving — 1 onion, 2 tbsp (finish)
Method
- Clean the mushrooms, blanch them in salted boiling water for 5 min, then drain.
- In a jar, alternate layers of mushrooms, salt, garlic, dill, and spices.
- Press down, cover with a clean weight to submerge in the brine that forms; cover with a cloth.
- Ferment for 5 to 7 days at room temperature, then store in a cool place.
- Serve cold, rinsed if too salty, with sliced onion, dill, and a drizzle of oil.
How it was made : A distinction was made between dry salting (mushrooms release their own brine under the weight of a stone) and hot salting (pre-blanching). Blackcurrant, oak, and horseradish leaves kept the caps firm and crunchy. Barrels of salted mushrooms were a Russian domestic treasure, the basis of *zakuski* all winter.
The contemporary twist : Presented in a small verrine on a cloud of sour cream whipped with dill, a revisited *zakuski* style.
Sources : William Pokhlebkin, « La cuisine nationale de nos peuples » · Domostroï (recueil domestique russe, XVIe s.)
Catherine I · Charactorium
