Species
- Parasol Mushroom Lepiota procera
- Shaggy Parasol Lepiota rhacodes
- Shaggy Parasol Lepiota rhacodes var hortensis
Foragers Tips
- Note, even young specimens can contain maggots.
- Beware: can be confused with the poisonous Chlorophyllum Molybdites
Cooks Tips
- This species can cause stomach upsets in some people.
- The thick fleshy cap is tender and large enough to be to be the main part of a meal.
- The stalks can be tough, so if used need to be chopped finely.
FRIED PARASOL MUSHROOMS
It looks like a huge omelette.
4 Large Parasol (15cm diameter) caps 3 Eggs 2 tbsp Parsley - Finely Chopped 2 tbsp Parmesan cheese - freshly grated Breadcrumbs - for coating Oil - for shallow frying Salt and Black Pepper
Beat the eggs with parsley, salt, pepper and the Parmesan cheese. Dip the caps in this mixture and then coat thoroughly with breadcrumbs. Fry each cap in oil over a moderate heat until golden on both sides.
Serve with fresh bread and salad.
- Preparation - 10
- Cooking - 25
- Feeds - 4
- Region - Italy
- Source - [3]
STUFFED PARASOL CAPS
The size and shape of the parasol lends itself to stuffing. In this recipe the stuffing is a cheesy béchamel sauce so the caps need to be young enough to still have a cup shape. (Older specimens have plate shaped caps and this sauce would run off during cooking.)
30g Smoked Ham sliced thick 80ml Garden Peas 4 Small parasol caps (5/6cm) 15g Unsalted Butter 15g Flour 125ml Milk 30ml Grated Gruyere 30ml Grated Parmesan Grated Nutmeg Salt and Black Pepper
Preheat Oven to 180°C. Melt butter in a sauce pan then add the flour stirring into a smooth paste. Add the milk in spurts, resmoothing the sauce every time. Once boiling cook for 5 minutes. Add nutmeg, salt and pepper. Stir in the cheeses when melted and smooth add the peas and ham. The caps need to remain upright during baking. Find an oven proof dish that will take them snugly. If you don't have one that size, cut the tops flat so they stand up. The 'plug' that's removed can be placed back inside to help stop the sauce leaking during cooking. Fill caps with sauce and bake for 30-40 minutes.
To help keep everything together the original recipe suggested making a 'nest' from a 20cm piece of baking paper for each cap during baking.
Serve with new potatoes and vegetables in season
- Preparation - 30
- Cooking - 40
- Feeds - 4
- Region - ?
- Source - DK