This recipe comes from Linton, on the banks of the River Wharfe, and I can just imagine Grandma Oxtoby combing the fields for wild mushrooms to make this delicious soup. And Grandma, being a country person, would know her mushrooms from her toadstools. So, just a word of warning:
- Never eat any fungus that you are not absolutely certain has been identified correctly. Use a good field guide, but don’t rely absolutely on pictures in books – differences between fungi can be difficult to spot. Go out with an experienced guide, if you can.
- When collecting fungi, avoid using plastic bags; the lack of air will accelerate the decomposition process and make the mushrooms mushy. Use a basket instead.
Ingredients
- 8 oz (225g) wild field mushrooms
- 2 oz (50g) butter or margarine
- 2 oz (50g) flour
- 1 pint (20 fl oz) water or stock
- 15 fl oz (three-quarters of a pint) milk
- seasoning to taste
Method
- Chop the mushrooms, including stalks, finely
- Melt the butter/,margarine in a saucepan and fry the mushrooms, stirring constantly to prevent their discolouration
- Stir in the flour and cook for a further three minutes
- Remove pan from heat and gradually blend in the water and the milk
- Bring to the boil and simmer until the soup thickens
- Season to taste.
Source: Mrs Rachel Hird, in Recipes from Linton (and poetry, including a selection by Halliwell Sutcliff) Published by the Linton Institute (no date).
