Porcini mushrooms by Harald Wohlfahrt

Each week, Relaxnews invites a master chef to share insights into the gourmet kitchen by presenting a favorite ingredient. Harald Wohlfahrt is the chef at the Schwarzwaldstube, the gourmet restaurant at the Traube Tonbach hotel in Baiersbronn, Germany. He expressed his love of cooking with one of the most fragrant and prized mushrooms found in European forests: the porcini. Relaxnews: What led you to choose this ingredient? Harald Wohlfahrt: I chose this mushroom because it is found in abundance in the Black Forest. I enjoy cooking with it and my guests truly appreciate it. I like searching for and gathering porcini while out walking with my dog. It always makes me feel alive and closer to nature. Cooking it gives me the same feeling! R: When is this ingredient in season? HW: There are two seasons for porcini: a period of three weeks in July for summer porcini, and then in the fall from mid-September to mid-October. R: What is the best way to prepare it? Your recipe? HW: I am particularly fond of porcini mixed into a savory risotto. R: What other ingredients can be combined with this ingredient to delight and surprise the tastebuds? What are the most common mistakes made when preparing this ingredient? HW: Porcini go very well with regional snails. The most common mistake is to over-wash the porcini, as they take on too much water. My recommendation is to wash the mushrooms when they are dry. After that, all that is required is to simply sauté and brown them in a pan. R: How do you offer this ingredient on your current menu? HW: We offer them at the Schwarzwaldstube restaurant at the Traube Tonbach hotel in a "Porcini Variation," a dish with three different recipes. R: What wine (or other alcohol) is best married with this ingredient? HW: According to the recommendation from Stéphane Gass, the Chief Sommelier at the Traube Tonbach, a Pinot Grigio makes the best accompaniment. One example: 2007 Ihringer Weissburgunder Pinot Gris, Vendanges Tardives Dr. Heger, Baden. Source: Relaxnews