Cape Town Etc went to the forest to forage for wild, edible mushrooms right here in Cape Town. Take a trek into the wild of the Cape Town surrounds with our editor Justin (who also happens to be an accomplished mushroom forager) and our food editor Chiara.
For those who’d prefer to skip the trip in the woods, and rather dine at a restaurant where wild mushrooms are served, La Tête, ASH and Greenhouse are great places to experience these delicacies, while Oranjezicht City Farm Market Day at Granger Bay occasionally sells these delicacies too.
Charred foraged mushrooms with walnut lemon gremolata
6 Saffron Milk Caps (Pine Ring mushrooms)
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
For the walnut lemon gremolata;
5 tbs olive oil
Walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
1 lemon, zested and juiced
10g parsley, roughly chopped
1 clove garlic, grated
Salt and pepper
For the buttered crostini;
1 baguette, slices lengthwise
4 tbs soft butter
Heat a griddle pan until smoking, drizzle mushrooms with olive oil, salt and pepper.
Charr the mushrooms and set aside to cool, once cooled slice thing with a sharp knife.
For the walnut lemon gremolata; miss all the ingredients together and allow to sit for 15 minutes.
For the buttered crostini; smear the baguette slices generously with butter and grill for minutes until bread is golden.
To serve; break mushrooms up and lay them on a plate, spoon over gremolata and eat with crostini.
TIP: Use your favourite mushroom for this dish, button mushrooms work perfectly.
For more recipes visit MyKitchen.
Please note that it is not advised to gather wild mushrooms without consulting an expert.
Recipe & styling Chiara Turili
Photography Andreas Eiselen / Imaad Griffiths