A Taste On The Wild Side

We’re devoted to local produce and caught up with Head Chef, Wayne Joyce, to ask what lengths he goes to to discover the tastiest treats from the South Coast…

There’s nothing better than heading into the wild in search of beautiful ingredients. And if you know what you’re looking for, the world’s your oyster! At the Sandbanks Hotel we use local suppliers for many of our products, but when the season’s right there’s one ingredient we use that I like to gather myself: mushrooms.

When they’re newly picked from the forest floor, wild mushrooms have the freshest flavour.

I source my mushrooms from the New Forest, which is teeming with all sorts of varieties. I look for Girolles, Pied de Mouton, Horn of Plenty, Porcini, Bolete, Winter Chanterelle, Chicken of the Woods and Hen of the Woods. As you can see, they have some weird and wonderful names!

Because there are so many different types, identifying mushrooms takes a great deal of knowledge and attention to detail. The colours, stem sizes and markings vary hugely, so for novices I’d strongly recommend going with someone who knows what they’re looking for. And if you’re not 100% certain, don’t pick it.

If you do head out (with your expert in tow!), it’s very important to respect the environment.

The health of the forest floor is essential, so don’t dig up big holes when cutting the mushrooms – leave the ground as you found it. Also, to encourage growth for the next season, leave spores around the area you picked. You can do this by brushing the spores gently or cutting off small bits of the mushroom itself. 

Now the tasty part –cooking them! Adding wild mushrooms to a stew or casserole will intensify the meaty flavour significantly, which is why we love them so much at FJB. Most varieties of mushrooms cook quickly, but to keep their amazing natural flavour, you mustn’t let them over cook.

My favourite mushroom dish at the Sandbanks Hotel has to be our Mushroom Risotto – not only is it delicious, it’s also wonderfully nutritious. For those who want to try their hand at cooking a wild mushroom dish at home, I’d recommend sautéing them with a little garlic, cream and herbs, and serving them on toasted ciabatta with rocket and a drizzle of truffle oil. Delicious!

DISCLAIMER: NEVER PICK MUSHROOMS UNLESS YOU’RE ABSOLUTELY SURE THEY’RE EDIBLE – ALWAYS ASK AN EXPERT.

Try for yourself 

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