This year we offer you a truly original Christmas menu: a complete gastronomic journey through the wonderful world of mushrooms, from appetizer to dessert. A refined culinary proposal that will surprise your guests with unexpected but perfectly balanced combinations.
Appetizers: the forest's welcome
Porcini and black truffle millefeuille
Preparation time: 45 minutes Difficulty: Medium Servings: 6 people
Ingredients:
- 500g fresh porcini mushrooms
- 2 sheets of puff pastry
- 50g black truffle
- 200g mascarpone
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh thyme
Method:
- Carefully clean the porcini with a damp cloth and slice them thinly
- Sauté the slices in a pan with a drizzle of oil
- Roll out the puff pastry and bake at 180°C until golden
- Whip the mascarpone with salt and pepper
- Assemble by alternating pastry, mascarpone cream, and mushrooms
- Finish with truffle shavings and fresh thyme
Chiodini mushroom soup in a crispy shell
Preparation time: 35 minutes Difficulty: Medium Servings: 6 people
Ingredients:
- 400g chiodini mushrooms
- 2 medium potatoes
- 1 onion
- 1L vegetable broth
- 100g flour for the shells
- Fresh parsley
Method:
- Prepare a sauté with finely chopped onion
- Add cleaned and chopped mushrooms
- Add diced potatoes and broth
- Cook for 25 minutes over medium heat
- Prepare the shells with flour and water
- Serve the soup in the shells with chopped fresh parsley
Main courses: tradition meets innovation
Chanterelle risotto with porcini powder
Preparation time: 50 minutes Difficulty: High Servings: 6 people
Ingredients:
- 400g Carnaroli rice
- 300g fresh chanterelles or other mushrooms
- 50g dried porcini for the powder
- 1 shallot
- 1/2 glass of dry white wine
- 100g Parmigiano Reggiano
- 50g butter
Method:
- Prepare the porcini powder by finely blending the dried mushrooms
- Sauté the chopped shallot in butter
- Toast the rice and deglaze with white wine
- Add the chanterelles halfway through cooking
- Stir in butter and Parmigiano
- Serve with a sprinkle of porcini powder
Squid ink tagliolini
Preparation time: 1 hour and 30 minutes
Difficulty: Medium
Ingredients for 4 people:
For the pasta:
- 300g 00 flour
- 3 eggs
- 2 sachets of squid ink (8g)
- A pinch of salt
For the sauce:
- 400g fresh shrimp
- 2 garlic cloves
- 200g cherry tomatoes
- Fresh parsley to taste
- Extra virgin olive oil to taste
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 glass of white wine
Preparation:
- Prepare the pasta: place the flour in a mound on the work surface. In the center, add the eggs, squid ink, and salt.
- Knead vigorously until you obtain a homogeneous black dough. Wrap in plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes.
- Roll out the dough very thin and cut the tagliolini. Let them dry slightly on a floured cloth.
- For the sauce: clean the shrimp by removing the shell and intestinal vein.
- In a pan, sauté the garlic in oil. Add the shrimp and deglaze with white wine.
- Add the halved cherry tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes.
- Cook the tagliolini in plenty of salted water for 2-3 minutes.
- Toss the pasta in the pan with the sauce, adding chopped parsley.
- Serve immediately with a grind of black pepper.
Beef fillet in mushroom crust
Preparation time: 1 hour
Difficulty: High
Ingredients for 4 people:
- 800g beef fillet in one piece
- 500g champignon mushrooms
- 2 rolls of puff pastry
- 2 shallots
- 2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard
- 2 egg yolks for brushing
- Fresh thyme to taste
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Extra virgin olive oil to taste
- Butter to taste
Preparation:
- Clean the mushrooms and chop them finely. Chop the shallot.
- In a pan, sauté the shallot with butter and oil, add the mushrooms and cook until the water evaporates. Salt, pepper, and let cool.
- Brown the fillet in a pan with oil and butter for 2-3 minutes per side to seal the meat. Let cool.
- Brush the fillet with Dijon mustard.
- Roll out the puff pastry, spread a layer of chopped mushrooms.
- Place the fillet and wrap with the puff pastry, sealing the edges well.
- Brush with beaten egg yolk and decorate with the second pastry creating a pattern as desired.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C for about 25-30 minutes.
- Let rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
Veal roll with porcini mushrooms
Preparation time: 1 hour and 15 minutes
Difficulty: Medium
Ingredients for 4 people:
- 600g veal topside sliced thinly
- 400g fresh porcini mushrooms (or mixed with champignons)
- 150g smoked scamorza cheese
- 2 shallots
- 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
- 2 sage leaves
- 1 glass of dry white wine
- Vegetable broth to taste
- Extra virgin olive oil to taste
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Kitchen string
Preparation:
- Clean the mushrooms and slice them. Finely chop the shallots.
- In a pan, sauté the shallot with oil, add the mushrooms and cook for 10-12 minutes. Salt and pepper.
- Lightly pound the veal slices to even out the thickness.
- Arrange the slices slightly overlapping to form a rectangle.
- Spread the sautéed mushrooms and slices of scamorza on the meat, leaving a free edge.
- Tightly roll the meat starting from the long side, forming a compact roll.
- Tie the roll with kitchen string at regular intervals.
- In a saucepan, brown the roll on all sides with oil, rosemary, and sage.
- Deglaze with white wine and let it evaporate.
- Add a ladle of broth and cook over medium-low heat for about 35 minutes, turning occasionally and adding broth if necessary.
- At the end of cooking, let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
- Serve the slices with the cooking juices.
Notes:
- Can be prepared in advance and gently reheated before serving.
- Mixed seasonal mushrooms can be used instead of porcini.
- Scamorza can be replaced with fontina or other stringy cheese.
The final dessert: an unexpected surprise
Panettone with candied shiitake mushrooms
Preparation time: 24 hours (with rising) Difficulty: Very high Servings: 8-10 people
Ingredients:
- 500g Manitoba flour
- 200g shiitake mushrooms
- 150g sugar
- 3 whole eggs
- 250g sourdough starter
- 200g butter
- 100g honey
- 1 vanilla bean
Method:
- Candy the shiitake with sugar and honey
- Prepare the base dough with flour and sourdough starter
- Perform three successive risings
- Gently incorporate the candied mushrooms
- Bake at 170°C for 50 minutes
- Let cool upside down
Chantilly cream with Ganoderma
Important Note: this is an experimental version that combines classic chantilly cream with medicinal mushrooms. Consult an expert before using medicinal mushrooms. Use only certified and quality-guaranteed products.
Basic Ingredients:
- 500 ml fresh whipping cream (minimum 35% fat)
- 50 g powdered sugar
- 1 vanilla pod or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- A pinch of salt
Functional Ingredients (Optional):
- 1-2 grams certified Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi) powder
- or 1-2 grams Tremella fuciformis (snow fungus) powder
- 1 teaspoon acacia honey (to balance the flavor)
Preparation:
- Preliminary preparation:
Chill the mixer bowl and beaters in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. The cream must be very cold.
- Mushroom mixing (if used):
In a small bowl, mix the mushroom powder with a tablespoon of liquid cream until smooth and lump-free. Add the honey and mix well.
- Vanilla preparation:
If using the vanilla pod, split it lengthwise and scrape out the seeds.
- Cream whipping:
Pour the cold cream into the cold bowl, add the powdered sugar, vanilla seeds (or extract), and a pinch of salt. If using the mushroom mixture, add it now.
- Whipping:
Beat with electric beaters at medium speed until a firm but creamy consistency is achieved. Do not overbeat to avoid it becoming buttery.
Tips for the mushroom version:
- Tremella fuciformis has a more delicate and sweet flavor compared to Ganoderma
- Start with small amounts of mushroom powder and adjust to taste
- Honey helps balance any bitter notes from the mushrooms
- The cream may take on a slight coloration depending on the type of mushroom used
Service notes
Recommended wine pairings:
- For appetizers: Franciacorta Brut
- For the first courses: Gewürztraminer Alto Adige DOC
- For the main course: Barolo DOCG
- For desserts: Moscato d'Asti DOCG
Important: The quality of the menu strongly depends on the freshness of the mushrooms used. Purchase them from certified suppliers and store them properly before use.