OF BRITISH FUNGI. 83 



sliced and macerated with salt after the manner of 

 making mushroom ketchup. The deep red liquor that 

 is produced should be put hot into a dish with a little 

 lemon-juice and minced shalots, and a broiled rump- 

 steak deposited in it. Great will be the surprise of the 

 epicure at the quantity of gravy the steak has afforded, 

 greater still when told that it is the simple juice of 

 a fungus % , for the similitude to the juice of beef is 

 exact. The ketchup must be strained from the sub- 

 stance raw, and afterwards boiled with spice for keeping 

 like ordinary ketchup. It should not be employed but 

 to represent beef gravy, as it does not possess the flavour 

 of mushrooms. In France, where this species is also 

 eaten, it is first washed and dried, then placed in boiling 

 water for a short time, and afterwards stewed with 

 butter, parsley, scallion, pepper and salt ; yolk of egg 

 being afterwards added, when the stew is ready for the 

 table. It is also grilled. In Vienna it is cut in thin 

 slices and eaten with salad as we employ beetroot, and 

 is also cooked with meat, adding a little cream or lemon- 

 juice. It will be found necessary, whichever method of 

 cooking is adopted, to employ fresh specimens, as they 

 will shrivel up and become leathery if sliced and dried. 

 The best mode of preserving for future use is by con- 

 verting them into the kind of sauce or gravy to which 

 we have alluded. 



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