Wild World kitchen / Field to table

NATURE DOESN'T
DO portion control.

A little smoke, a little science, and the occasional mushroom that requires its own seatbelt. Click a recipe to expand it. Opening another closes the first.

Before cooking a wild mushroom, confirm its identification using multiple characteristics and appropriate expert resources. Cooking does not make a poisonous species safe.

From the Wisconsin woods to the smoker

SMOKED ELM
OYSTER SOUP.

Wood smoke. Korean fermentation. Peruvian chile. One surprisingly substantial wild mushroom.

Print-friendly editorial recipe ↗

Elm oyster mushrooms growing on a tree — Hypsizygus ulmarius growing in the wild. Photograph: Wild World Foraging.

Yield4 servings

Prep20 minutes

Cook45 min + smoking

Smoke225°F / 107°C

The common name “elm oyster” can be a little misleading. Here in Wisconsin, every Hypsizygus ulmarius I’ve personally found has been growing on box elder — never elm. This recipe takes that substantial wild mushroom and gives it a trip through smoke, Korean fermentation and Peruvian chile.

The idea is to smoke the caps gill-side up, allowing their natural bowl shape to catch some of the moisture they release. If that liquid collects, it becomes part of the broth rather than something we lose to the smoker.

Smoke. Earthiness. Fermentation.
Fruity heat. Bright acidity.

Pale gills of harvested elm oyster mushrooms — The substantial structure and pale gills of an elm oyster mushroom.

Method

Smoke the mushrooms. Heat a smoker to 225°F / 107°C. Clean and trim mushrooms but leave unseasoned. Arrange gill-side up on a silicone-lined pan and begin checking after 30 minutes. Reserve any liquid collected in the caps.
Build a pale mirepoix. Gently sweat shallots, celery and leek in butter for 8–10 minutes without browning. Add garlic and ginger for another minute.
Build the broth. Add mushroom stock and bring to a gentle simmer. Dissolve the doenjang in a ladle of hot broth, then add it to the pot with the ají amarillo.
Bring it together. Reserve a few attractive mushrooms for garnish, chop the rest and simmer in the broth with any smoked juices for 10–15 minutes.
Finish. Stir in vinegar. Season to taste; add soy sauce only if needed. Serve with scallions, sesame seeds, a few drops of toasted sesame oil and reserved mushroom pieces.

View the full editorial page and print ↗

Finished smoked elm oyster soup plated in a bowl — The finished smoked elm oyster, doenjang and ají amarillo soup.

EarthySmokyFermentedFruity heatBright

Field Note

Never identify a wild mushroom from a single feature. Confirm the host and growth habit, cap, gills, stem and other relevant characteristics before eating.

From the Wisconsin woods to the soup pot

CREAM OF
PUFFBALL SOUP.

Found a little one? Found a lawn ornament? Either way, there's soup.

From the field to the tablePhoto to be added in Field Studio → Recipe Photos

The gentle giant of the forest.

YieldYour harvest

PrepAbout 10 min

CookAbout 30 min

BrothMushroom

Giant puffballs don’t come in recipe-sized packages. One might fit in your palm. Another might need its own seat belt. Weigh the peeled, trimmed flesh you’re actually cooking, and the ingredient list will meet you where the woods left you.

Nature doesn’t do portion control.
We’ll do the math.

Mushroom broth, dry white vermouth and light cream turn this gentle giant into a silky soup. Taste and season at the end, then finish with chives.

Your harvest. Your recipe.

Peeled, trimmed puffball weight (grams) g

About 6 servings at 454 g. Actual yield will depend on portions.

Method

Prep the puffball. Confirm the species. Cut it through the center: the interior must be uniformly firm and pure white, with no forming gills, cap or stem. Peel, trim and weigh the usable flesh, then shred or chop.
Build the base. Melt butter in a heavy pot. Add onion, celery and garlic and soften for roughly 5 minutes.
Let the puffball settle in. Add mushroom and vermouth, cooking for 5–8 minutes until the mushroom softens and the liquid reduces. Work in batches for large harvests.
Simmer. Pour in mushroom broth, bring to a gentle boil, cover and simmer for about 10 minutes or until tender.
Make it silky. Purée with an immersion blender. If using a countertop blender, follow the manufacturer's hot-liquid instructions and work in small batches.
Finish with cream. Mix flour into cold cream until smooth, stir into the soup and simmer gently 3–5 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, a small pinch of nutmeg and optional sugar only at the end.
Soup's on. Ladle into bowls, garnish with chives and invite a friend if the mushroom had its own zip code.

Cut young giant puffballs completely open before consumption. Pure white flesh alone is not a complete identification. Discard any with yellowing, spore development, hidden mushroom structures, decay or extensive insect damage.

Adapted from Margaret Bose Johnson's Cream of Puffball Soup (Kitchen Frau), with Wild World Foraging's vermouth addition and weight-based ingredient scaling.

From the field to the tablePhoto to be added in Field Studio → Recipe Photos

Cream of giant puffball soup, from your wild pantry to the table.

NATURE DOESN'T
DO portion control.

Smoked Elm Oyster Soup

SMOKED ELM
OYSTER SOUP.

Method

Field Note

Cream of Giant Puffball Soup

CREAM OF
PUFFBALL SOUP.

Your harvest. Your recipe.

Method

NATURE DOESN'TDO portion control.

Smoked Elm Oyster Soup

SMOKED ELMOYSTER SOUP.

Method

Field Note

Cream of Giant Puffball Soup

CREAM OFPUFFBALL SOUP.

Your harvest. Your recipe.

Method

NATURE DOESN'T
DO portion control.

SMOKED ELM
OYSTER SOUP.

CREAM OF
PUFFBALL SOUP.