cooking from the wild

thee are many things that i will take that grow wild,
concord grapes are a simple one, dandelion greens in the spring are another, but around this time there is something special that comes out here in the New England area, giant puff ball mushrooms.
I know, you are suppose to be an expert in order to harvest wild mushrooms, but for this giant, there are no equal in the toxic world, yet there is some information you need to enjoy your meal.

First they are big, big enough to be mistaken for a soccer ball.

this one is over 9 inches and it was not the largest!

second pick them when they first show up and cook them the same day!
The insides MUST be all white!  Any discoloration means the spores are beginning to ripen and they will upset your stomach.

this is how white they should be!

you notice the different dates on the pictures?  Normally there is only one crop and this year there were two, i did not mind!

Cleaning is as any other mushroom, but you want to minimize the skin, which is tough.
Cut 1/2 inch pieces of steak and discard the ends.
Now to cook them.
It should be noted that they absorb any butter, oil or cooking liquid in large quantities - a single 1/2 inch slice will completely absorb 1 stick of butter!
Use a non-stick pan or grill them getting a crust with a small amount of cooking oil or butter.
I add salt, pepper and tarragon to my pan to add flavors i like.

They also taste different than any other mushroom you have ever had, the outside crisp and tender and the inside, while it still has the mushroom texture, taste very much like a pudding (especially if you add to much butter, like i did on the first slice.)
this is a full meal and just needs some vegetables to round it out.