Sautéed Hedgehog Mushrooms

 

About 1 pound hedgehog mushrooms

1 T. butter

1 T. oil ( olive oil or vegetable oil)

Optional: 1 clove garlic (sliced)

Optional: 1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves

Sea salt, to taste

Parsley or chives (minced)

 

Trim and clean the mushrooms. First, cut off and discard any browned, dried, or bruised bits. Use a paper towel to brush off any dirt or, if the mushrooms are particularly dirty, give them a quick rinse under cold water and pat them thoroughly dry on paper towels. Small mushrooms can be cooked whole; larger specimens can be halved, quartered, chopped, or sliced as you like.  Heat a large frying pan over high heat. When the pan is hot, add the butter and oil. When the butter is melted, add the trimmed and clean mushrooms. Stirring frequently, cook until the mushrooms have released their liquid, that liquid has evaporated, and the mushrooms are tender and starting to brown—about 5 minutes.  If adding garlic, do it now. Cook, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant and the mushrooms are browned. This should take about 1 to 2 minutes.  If using fresh thyme, add that after the garlic. Stir to combine it with the mushrooms, about 15 seconds.  Remove from heat and sprinkle the mushrooms with salt to taste (unsalted mushrooms really won’t have the same flavor, so be generous as you sprinkle on the salt!).