Utahns push to make Porcini the official state mushroom

SALT LAKE CITY — A Utah lawmaker is running a bill to designate the porcini as the official state mushroom of Utah.

Rep. Christine Watkins (R-Price) is the author of House Bill 92, with the goal of raising awareness of mushrooms' important role in Utah’s ecosystem.

“It is so important for our state, for our forests,” Rep. Watkins said. “We have those mushrooms and if they are thriving in our forests, so are our forests.”

The Mushroom Society of Utah is supporting the bill.

“I love mushrooms and I think they are just as interesting as rocks and flowers and animals,” said Erin Moore, a member of the Mushroom Society of Utah. “We have state designations for all those things.

Porcini mushrooms can be found in Utah’s higher elevations in late summer and early fall. They grow in healthy, wet forests – so an abundance of mushrooms likely means nature is thriving.

“The fact that mushrooms are here makes Utah’s wilderness special and unique,” Moore said.

Porcini mushrooms are often used in cooking to add protein to pasta dishes or as a topping to meat or risotto.

Many recipes are simple and require minimal preparation.

Moore prepared this wild mushroom pasta recipe that can be completed in roughly 30 minutes.

Wild Mushroom Ragu with Balsamic and Thyme

Ingredients:
½ Cup olive oil
16 ounces cremini mushrooms, rough chop
16 ounces maitake or oyster mushrooms, rough chop or shred
1 ounce of dried porcini
2 cups veggie stock
1 large yellow onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced or grated
8-10 fresh sprigs of thyme
4 tbs balsamic vinegar
2 tbs lemon juice
½ cup water, combined
1 tbs miso dissolved in ¼ cup water
2 tbs butter
12 oz pasta of choice, like mafalde
Optional: black truffle oil, grated parmesan, pepper, or chopped fresh herbs

Instructions:

1. Heat a large, heavy-bottomed pot with about half the olive oil, adding the chopped fresh mushrooms when the oil is heated. Sit to coat the mushrooms in oil until they are brown and golden. Watch the pot for 8-10 minutes, and make sure not to overcrowd the pan with too many mushrooms. Work in batches if your mushrooms are taking up too much space. Once they are browned, salt and grind pepper over them, then set aside in a plate or bowl. 
2. While mushrooms are browning, combine vegetable broth and dried porcini in a separate saucepan and simmer together for 10 minutes to reconstitute the mushrooms. Use a slotted spoon to pull out the porcini when they’re softened, and set aside the porcini-infused stock for later use. Chop the porcini mushrooms and set them aside. 
3. Add the rest of the olive oil to the heavy-bottomed pot and heat it up, then add your chopped onion. Salt them after they’ve softened and browned a bit, then add the chopped porcini mushrooms, until their moisture has cooked off for the most part. Add garlic and pull the leaves off the thyme sprigs over the pot. Cook for one or two minutes, stirring. 
4. As soon as the garlic becomes fragrant, add your lemon and water to deglaze, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the liquid has mostly been absorbed. 
5. While waiting for the liquid to cook down, fill a large pot with water, add salt until it tastes salty, and put on to boil for the pasta. Keep an eye on it and add the pasta once the boil is big and bubbly, cook until al dente. Reserve a half cup of pasta water. 
6. Add the porcini stock to the pot of onions, garlic, porcini and thyme, as well as the combined miso and water. Simmer for 5-7 minutes, until thickened up a bit. Stir in the butter and the browned mushrooms from the first step. 
7. Add the cooked pasta to the pot of ragu, tossing to coat, adding drizzles of reserved pasta water if the sauce is too thick and not evenly coating the noodles. Let noodles cook with the sauce over medium heat for a minute or two. 
8. Portion out the ragu pasta, topping with grated parmesan, chopped fresh herbs, cracked pepper or a drizzle of black truffle oil.

Moore’s recipe is an adaptation of one found here.

The mushroom designation bill will likely be heard in committee later this legislative session.

Currently, Utah has 34 official state symbols.