STICK to spongy bottoms and avoid anything red. This has become my mantra as I root around in the undergrowth armed with a wicker basket and a small, sharp knife.

My mission is to find edible fungi for my lunch which, if all goes according to plan, will be a wild mushroom risotto prepared by chef patron Alex Aitken at The Jetty.

Fungi foraging has become hugely popular thanks to outdoorsy chefs like Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Jamie Oliver.

But this practice is nothing new to Alex and his wife Caroline, who have been picking their own for the past 30 years or more.

“It is very addictive,” says Caroline. “I’m usually out every other day foraging.”

Most of what the couple find in the New Forest ends up on customers’ plates at one of Harbour Hotels’ three Christchurch restaurants.

Today the husband and wife team have invited me to join them and their black Labrador for a fungi safari in the New Forest.

“This is the best year in memory for fungi,” says Alex as we stroll through the woods, our eyes scanning the ground and barks of trees.

“The New Forest is ideal because there is so much rotting vegetation and moisture. It is very climate linked and we’ve had the perfect conditions. We’re finding top quality fungi at the moment.”

Although I love the idea of finding wild food, I live in fear of poisoning myself.

On a previous fungi forage some years ago, I picked an innocuous looking pale mushroom which my guide identified as a highly toxic fungus known as Angel Destroyer.

“It’s best to stick to one or two varieties to start with,” advises Caroline.

“As a general rule, avoid anything red and go for spongy bottoms rather than gills.”

Although they have years of experience, neither of them have lost their enthusiasm. When Alex finds a large Penny Bun (also known as boletus edulis or porcini) – he can hardly contain his glee lifting it aloft like a prized trophy.

And food foraging isn’t just confined to autumn. The couple forage all year round.

Depending on the season they pick elderflowers, elderberries, roan berries, sloe berries, blackberries, crab apples, and herbs like bog myrtle.

“Gorse flowers smell like coconut – Alex makes a wonderful gorse flower panna cotta,” says Caroline.

Within an hour and a half our baskets are brimming with an array of colourful fungi which Alex estimates to be worth around £40 to £50.

We find Chanterelles, Wood Hedgehogs, Oyster mushrooms, Millers, Yellow Swamp Russulas and Saffron Milk Caps to name a few.

When we get back to the kitchen at The Jetty, he examines the contents – we have 12 different varieties in total – and selects a few handfuls for lunch.

Moments later I’m sitting down to a wild mushroom risotto in a rich Madeira sauce, topped with a poached egg and truffle shavings.

It is served in a Kilner jar so that when you pop the lid off you can savour the aroma.

The rice is perfectly cooked and the fungi, which has been pan fried in butter and olive oil with garlic and chives, is exquisite, fresh and full of flavour.

Although I’m a long way from stocking my larder with wild mushrooms, it certainly adds a new dimension to a country walk.

I will definitely be hunting for some spongy bottoms next time I’m in the New Forest!

 

CHEF Patron for Upper Deck Bar & Restaurant, The Jetty and The Kings Arms, Alex Aitken champions local and seasonal produce here in Dorset.
With wild mushrooms foraged on each of the restaurants’ doorsteps in the New Forest, enter now for your chance to win a foodie safari across all three!
Start at The Kings Arms in Christchurch, then it’s a short journey round to Mudeford, where you will enjoy a fish course at The Jetty and your mains and desserts at the Upper Deck!
For your chance to win this fantastic prize simply answer the following question:

QUESTION: What ingredient does Alex Aitken forage for in the New Forest?

Now send you entry along with your name, address and email if you have one, via one of the following methods.
POST: Mushroom Safari Competition, Daily Echo, Promotions Dept, Richmond Hill, Bournemouth, BH2 6HH.
CALL: 0901 151 0252 and leave your answer, name, address and telephone number when prompted.
TEXT: start your message ‘UPPER’ then leave a space followed with your answer, name, address and contact details to 80360.

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Recipe: Risotto of wild mushrooms, truffle and Madeira sauce

Mushroom stock
1 cube knorr vegetable bouillon
50g dried mushrooms
500ml water
1 chopped shallot
Small bunch thyme
1 clove garlic split
3 bay leaves

Bring all ingredients to a simmer and allow to infuse for half an hour, pass the stock off pressing the wild mushrooms to allow for maximum flavour.
To finish the risotto
Fry a handful of wild mushrooms in a little olive oil and butter with a little chopped garlic and parsley.
Add the cooked risotto to re-heat, adding some more stock if needed.
Check the rice is just cooked.
Add a good pinch of freshly grated parmesan and some butter.
Stir in gently and check the seasoning.