Whilst Hunting......

With the hunting season well under way it's often forgotten that many hunters whilst hunting game also search for other wild foods.

Take for example last Sunday I was hunting for Cinghiale on a very cold, wet and miserable morning. The skies were overcast and there wasn't a hint or a sniff of live game. I was in half a mind to pack it in until Domenico urshered me over to a small patch of woods. He said "look there," and from the corner of my eye I could see small Porcini mushrooms on the cold damp earth near to an old tree. Domenico had such glee he immediately went over to them little gold treasures and picked the lot. He kept saying "What a find." Later I learnt that the climate hadn't been the best recently for mushrooms. He offered me half of them which I declined as I like to find my own.

We continued hunting for the rest of the day, but luck wasn't with us. Besides it was a bitterly cold Sunday which was surprising for this time of year.

Anyway with Porcini Mushrooms in my mind here is a little recipe that I often use.

Tagliatelle con Fungi Porcini.

First take about 150g of dried wild Porcini mushrooms from last season. the longer you leave them the more intense the flavour. Put the mushrooms in a small bowl, add 200ml of warm water, leave to rest for about 2 hours.

Then in 2 hours chop about 200g of fresh champignon mushrooms and add to a meduim heat pan with a knob of butter and a tablespoon of olive oil. Fry until lightly browned, add the Porcini mushrooms, but not the liquor. After 5 minutes add one chopped onion and 4 chopped cloves of garlic cook for about 10 minutes. Add the liquor and leave to simmer for 30 minutes until sauce has reduced by 1/3.

Whilst sauce is reducing make the pasta. Take 300g of good wild wheet flour, place on work surface and add three eggs, pinch of salt and tablespoon of olive oil. Mix lightly together and run through pasta maker to number 3 grade pasta thickness. Cut then to Tagliatelle size and dust well with flour.

Bring salted water to the boil with tablespoon of olive oil.

Now with the sauce add 200ml of double cream or better Italian panna simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.

Add Pasta to boiling water for 3 minutes.

Then serve staight away with sauce tossed through the pasta.

I have 3 children aged 12, 9, 3 who love this recipe.

Hunting Season Opens Today

Preparing the joints for roasting.

Tradational Italian "Spit Roasting."

Well after a year away today opens the new Italian hunting season and I am glad to be back.
After a few disappointments and family problems. I am returning for another season's hunting in Italian. As I have already said Hunting here in Italian is a World apart from the normal hunting and countrylife I learnt as a child in England. The traditionals here and the way that they cook the wild foods from the Boar to the Hare is simple and delicious.
It's no wonfer then that with over 800,000 members of the "FEDERCACCIA" including many of Italy's famous actors and actresses supporting the traditional ways of country life here that the organisation is one of the most powerful sporting groups in Europe today.
Being one of its only English member's is an indoctrination into an alternative lifestyle. To be part of this organisation has many advantages from learning new "old" italian recipes to having new friends.
Whether or not you agree with hunting this tradational organisation is much more and campains for many groups with protecting country life something I saw as a child in England disappear slowly over the last 30yrs.
Enjoying this experience as I have for the last 3 yrs I am offering this experiance to others wishing to experiance something more than the usual. This is truely a fanastic experience over a long weekend seeing the hunting of the famous Italian "Wild Boar." Then seeing the hunters first hand and getting to try a true Italian hunter's feast.
I will give more details as I continue informing you of Italian hunting life and new "Old" Italian recipes in the future.