Cassell's dictionary of cookery

of wine and vinegar extract some part of their poison, and tannin matter decomposes the greatest part of it." {Botanist's Companion). In Poland and Russia there are above thirty edible sorts of fungi in common use among the peasantry. They are gathered in all the different stages of their growth, and used in various ways — raw, boiled, stewed, roasted ; and, being hung up and dried in their stoves or chimneys, form a part of their winter stock of provisions. Mushrooms (a la Bordelais). — Proceed in all respects as for grilled mushrooms, but serve with a sauce of oil or melted butter, in which are minced young onions, parsley, and a little garlic ; or serve with a sauce made by boiling the trimmings of the mushrooms in good brown gravy, seasoned with cayenne pepper and salt, and thickened with the yolks of eggs. Time to broil, about twelve minutes ; to bake, fifteen to twenty minutes. Mushrooms (a la Casse-tout). — This mode of cooking mushrooms is borrowed from the French, as its name implies. Their hearth fires are particularly adapted for it. Place a baking tin on the hot hearth, on which lay toast well buttered ; cover with mushrooms, carefully cleaned, keeping the cup side uppermost, and placing upon each mushroom a bit of butter, and a seasoning of pepper and salt. !Mediumsized flap mushrooms do best for this dish ; they should be freshly gathered. A glass is sometimes fixed closely over the mushi-ooms, but for cooking mushrooms in any quantity, an earthenware cover, with a flat top, to allow of the wood-embers being placed around and on it, is used. Serve on a hot dish. Time, ten to twelve minutes. Mushrooms (au Beurre). — Trim the stems and rub two pints of button mushrooms as before directed. Put them into a stewpan with three or four ounces of good butter, slightly browned, and stir them very gently, to get the butter well about them. Shake the pan over a moderate fire, that the mushrooms may not settle at the bottom. When they have well imbibed the butter, add a little pounded mace, salt, and cayenne, and cover closely by the side of the fire, "to simmer until tender, when they will be found excellent without any other addition. Serve them hot on toast at breakfast or luncheon. If to be eaten cold, drain them from the butter, which may be used as flavouring for other dishes, and put them in a cool place, to be served next day, but they will keep for several days. When mushrooms are plentiful, they may be kept thus prepared many weeks, in pots, with a little clarified butter run over the top to exclude the air. Warm up when required. Time, about twenty to twenty-five minutes altogether. Mushrooms (au Gratin). — Skin, wash, drain, and wipe dry some freshly-gathered flaj) mushrooms. Cut the stems to within a quarter of an inch, and fill the cup with the following seasoning : — Grated ham or bacon (rather fat), two ounces, shred shallot, half an ounce, a small bunch of chopped parsley, some thyme, a little powdered mace, and pepper and salt. Simmer