Mushrooms and More Mushrooms

A few months ago my cousin and I starting planning a trip to a little town on the shores of the St. Lawrence River in Quebec.  We were gathering there with some of our classmates from our boarding school in the Eastern Townships.  The town is called Metis-sur-Mer and as it turns out, it is 370 miles from our home in North Hatley.  A very pleasant six hour drive.  My cousin lives just three hours from me and three hours from Metis so it worked out for me to pick her up on the way.  We arrived after an easy drive with only one wrong turn on my part.  We needed to get there as we had reservations to a Mushroom Dinner at Les Jardins de Métis  or Reford Gardens that evening.  I have never been to a Mushroom Dinner and was intrigued by the concept especially as I know how good mushrooms can be for you and I really was curious how the chefs could create an entire meal incorporating mushrooms into every course.  The gardens are beautiful and the dinner was held in Estevan Lodge which is inside the gardens.  The dinner consisted of five courses and involved many different types of mushrooms, most I had never heard about before this evening.  Here is my recap.

 

Amuse Bouche

Hedgehog Mushrooms, Whelks, Shrimp, Sea Spinach

Delicious.  Really, delicious.  I was pleasantly surprised.  The entire serving would have fit on one spoonful but we savored it.  Maybe two bites.

Hedgehog Mushrooms are often known as the safer Chanterelles as there is no known poisonous look alike.

 

Appetizer

Lobster Mushroom Confit with butter, Lobster Mushroom Chips, Onion Cream and Black Garlic and Leek Flowers.

This was a huge surprise to me.  I wasn’t all that sure I wanted to eat this but the tastes blended so well together and the garlic was just delicious.  I think I will investigate more about Lobster Mushrooms!!!  What I did learn is they are not really a mushroom but something that grows on a mushroom and have the red color of a cooked lobster.  They are plentiful in British Columbia.

 

Soup Course

Chawanmushi with Boletes, Crunchy Dulce, Herbs and Flower Sauce

My least favorite of the evenings food.  The Chawanmushi is a Japanese custard, the Boletes are the mushrooms and the Dulce – well I won’t go there.  I stirred it up and tasted it but did not finish it.  I didn’t like the consistency I guess but it also had a very fishy taste to it which did not appeal.  Ugh~~~

 

Main Course

Pressed Lamb with Thyme, Roasted, Marinated and Mashed Chanterelles.

Nothing could prepare me for the flavors of this course.  Delicious, fragrant, light and so full of taste.  Lip smacking good!

Yes, you have to trust the chef on this one because he has to know that he has real Chanterelles and not their poisonous cousins.  No one was ill afterwards so we will just leave it there.

 

Dessert

Well, they did it, mushrooms in the dessert.  Who knew you could make a dessert out of mushrooms?

Honey Mushroom Ice Cream with Creamy Dark Chocolate and Raspberry.  Yes, I did try it, just a touch but it was enough and it was yummy.  Love the presentation.  So all in all, the Mushroom Dinner, while completely different from anything I have ever done before, was a total success.  We had fun, we enjoyed some unusual food, made with ingredients I might never have thought of, with people who were funny and congenial.  Not anything I would have ever thought I would try and I am so glad that I did.  Sometimes taking a chance works – except for the Soup Course!

And then there was Lobster

When you are near the Coast you have to have a lobster – Yes?  Well we did, I am not keen on the cooking part but lucky for us there is a place near where we were staying that cooks them for you.  Yes they were wonderful and we enjoyed every bite.  Interesting to be on the St. Lawrence and having lobster.  I think of going to Maine and having lobster but really, these were very, very good.  I do not like melted butter, never have.  In fact I almost couldn’t go into Howard Johnson’s restaurants because of the smell and I usually don’t even like to go to movie theatres because of the smell of the melted butter.  I know, those of you who are lobster lovers also love the melted butter – I don’t!  But this was so sweet it didn’t need anything.

 

So all in all it was a wonderful get away.  Four days, on a jaunt with my cousin with lots of laughs and gatherings with old friends and, in fact, a few new ones.  Couldn’t have been better.

Again, no recipe this week but you have some choices regarding mushrooms that might intrigue you.  My point, enjoy life, cherish every minute with your friends and family, be grateful for what you have and smile.

 

Love from le Fleuve St-Laurent

Louise