Horn of Plenty

[Moonraker]

Had a good fungi forage last week, specifically looking for 'Trompette des Morts' or in UK, Horn of Plenty (Craterellus cornucopioides) and found several kilos of them, as well as some Hedgehog fungus and some Birch Ceps.

Despite looking rather sinister and hide away under the leaves so need a good eye to see them, Horn of Plenty are good fresh and I cooked when as a ballotine of chicken and wild mushroom sauce. Nice

Best dried (they shrink a lot!) and stored for winter meat stews etc. This really concentrates their good mushroomy flavour.

 

[tomtom]

wow.. that looks brilliant thanks for showing us.. i wish i had the knolage to go out and find them!!

enjoy :You_Rock_

 

[Moonraker]

wow.. that looks brilliant thanks for showing us.. i wish i had the knolage to go out and find them!!

enjoy :You_Rock_

tomtom, just find someone who does and it takes no time and something you will never forget

 

[gregorach]

Hmmm, yummy - now you just need some foie gras and Armangac...

 

[Moonraker]

Hmmm, yummy - now you just need some foie gras and Armangac...

actually they are great in a pork paté too and in a veggie mushroom paté I make for my brother.

 

[Cyclingrelf]

Thanks for sharing - they look great!

 

[JM]

woaw, I missed that. Superb!
I have a receipy for making horn-of plenty pasta somewhere (I mean mixing them with the wheat).

 

[JM]

By the way, it is reported the Horn of plenty are hard on the kidneys, eating too many can strain the kidneys to failure. Also, and because they are hard to digest, eating too many can also be a cause on intestinal occlusion, because they would not get digested. We are talking > kilo, right?
I cannot remember the sources, but i'lll try to post them.

 

[Moonraker]

By the way, it is reported the Horn of plenty are hard on the kidneys, eating too many can strain the kidneys to failure. Also, and because they are hard to digest, eating too many can also be a cause on intestinal occlusion, because they would not get digested. We are talking > kilo, right?
I cannot remember the sources, but i'lll try to post them.

I would be interested to read more on that JM if you can find the source.

Like many fungi, there are potential issues with variable tolerance and digestion amongst those that eat them, beyond the well documented toxicity's etc. I would always suggest eating only a few of any mushroom for the first time. Indigestion can be an issue with a number of fungi, especially if consumed in large numbers, as indeed is the case with a number of wild foods.

I have been unable to find any direct references to any liver damage caused by
Craterellus cornucopioides myself and it is not mentioned in any of my books.

In fact one of the few references actually note research which identified it's antimutagenic properties (i.e. similar to an anti-carcinogen in that it helps reduce mutation of cells etc, though not necessarily cancer causing ones)

The results of the present study demonstrate that P. linteus, P. igniarius, and A. cylindracea contain antimutagens capable of inhibiting the mutagenicity of direct-acting mutagens such as NPD and NaN3. These results are consistent with those of Gruter et al. (1990), who identified the antimutagenic activity of the ethanol extracts of Craterellus cornucopioides toward the direct- acting mutagens 2-nitrofluorene and the acridine half mustard ICR-191 on S. typhimurium TM677.

source: Antimutagenicity and induction of anticarcinogenic phase II enzymes by basidiomycetes . Yun-Hee Shon, Kyung-Soo Nam. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 77 (2001) 103 – 109

So it could well be beneficial as well. Such are the complexities of natures larder

 

[JM]

Well as everything, good in the right quantities, sugar can kill! I'll most the ref when I find it.