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New caps (turgid) of boletus mushrooms, grilled

(Capelle giovani - turgide - di funghi porcini alla griglia)

  • 4 caps of boletus mushrooms of 200 grams each
  • olive oil
  • peanut oil
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • the small leaves of a small bunch of calamint
  • 4-5 branches of parsley
  • salt and pepper
Separate the caps form the stalks, cutting them about 2 centimetres under their join (use the stalks as over mentioned). Rub them carefully over their convex part with a humid cloth and clean the underneath part from any impurities, but without washing them. Take a blender and put 5 or 6 spoons of the two types of oil (as mentioned above in the ingredients) together with: garlic cloves, calamint, rosemary, parsley and a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix very well until you will obtain a sort of aromatic oil, put in a small food container and use it afterwards to oil the caps while they are grilling.
At the right time warm up the grill very well, lay down with care the caps on the concave part (the part of the gills), let them sizzle for 2-3 minutes, salting and oiling with the aromatic oil, previously prepared, the convex part, that means the part with the skin.
With a spatula remove and turn with care the caps (they should not break), salting and oiling the already grilled part; brown once again for 2-3 minutes. Turn another time, let grill for 3-4 minutes more, then turn once again and cook also this part for 3-4 minutes, salting a little bit but peppering generously. Take out from the grill and serve very hot.
These caps represent one of the classic flavour and they create a wonderful harmony if eaten with the Florentine steak. Please do not eat the Florentine steak with French fries, they are stuff for children who are bewilded, since their childhood, by the indolence of their parents (and also by TV advertising). With the Florentine steak: a salad made with spontaneous field herbs dressed with oil and vinegar, but the "real" ones; a good plate of boiled beans (the so called "cannellini") dressed with good oil (olio "bono") or eaten with the boletus cap! There are no alternatives.
Well there are some alternatives, but they are compromises, because the steak should be matched with something, but it is not a simple thin slice of meat!

A Giuseppe Alessi recipe
Translated by Gianna Toni
Picture by Kee-Ho Casati


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