Page 249 - The Forager’s Guide to Wild Foods

White King Bolete, Boletus

barrowsii (BOLETACEAE)

Katja Schulz, CC-BY-2.0

Katja Schulz, CC-BY-2.0

WHITE KING BOLETE is found in western North cal, smooth; Spore print: olive-brown
America, where it grows on the ground under conifers
EDIBLE PARTS: cap, stem
and hardwoods. It is most abundant in the southwest,
HOW TO EAT: These outstanding, meaty porcini
favoring ponderosa pine and fruiting in the summer
mushrooms are often hidden under organic debris.
and fall. On the northwest coast, it is associated with
Look for bumps on the forest floor and celebrate if you
live oak and appears during fall and winter. This ro- get to these boletes before the maggots do! B. barrow-
bust mushroom occurs alone, scattered, or in groups.
sii is delectable in risotto and pairs excellently with
CAP: The cap is 2.5-8 inches (6-20cm) wide and con-
meats.
vex, expanding to broadly convex or nearly flat. Its
WHITE KING AND VENISON: Ingredients: venison
clearly defined outer skin layer is smooth, dry, and
(shredded), butter, 1 ½ quart boletes (chopped), 2
cream-colored, turning pinkish-brown or yellowish
onions (diced), ¾ cup mushroom stock, 10 juniper
in age. The thick, white flesh does not bruise blue.
berries, ½ tsp. rosemary, ½ cup cream, ¼ cup cran-
PORE SURFACE: When young, the pore surface is
berries, salt, pepper. Sear venison in a pan with but-
cream-colored and its tubes are stuffed with a whit-
ter. Reserve. Sauté mushrooms and onions in butter.
ish pith. With age, the pores and tubes sallow to ol-
In a pot, combine venison, mushrooms, onions, stock,
ive-yellow. They do not stain blue when bruised.
juniper, rosemary (cook 10-15 min.). Add cream, salt,
STEM: The fat, solid stem is 2.5-7 inches (6-18cm) pepper, cranberries.
long and 0.8-2.5 inches (2-6cm) thick. Bulbous at the
POISONOUS LOOK-ALIKES: Some boletes that stain
base when young, it becomes equal by maturity. Its blue or have red pores are poisonous, including B.
whitish surface is finely reticulate, especially above.
satanas - white cap; reddish stem and pores; stains
The stem stains brownish in age.
blue when cut.
SPORES: 12–17 x 4.5–6 µm, spindle-shaped to ellipti-
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