pom pom mushrooms WOW!

[wizcat3]

Im in Philadelphia's Reading Market the other day and saw the most wonderful huge collection of mushrooms. Then I saw pom pom mushrooms the size of a large golfball lol, or a small tennis ball. The texture on the outside is stringy like. Where do they come from and how do you cook them. They are to beautiful to cut up. Ive been to lots of great markeks all across the country and I have never seen these. I tried some vegy books and could not find anything about them. Please advise, I want to taste them. Price? Ouch! $24.00 lb. I dont want to screw them up. Thanks.

[shroomgirl]

Now I know of 2 Pom Poms one is lacy and supposedly tastes like lobster, the other is a firm ball (puffball) I don't go out of my way for either. My shroom farmer friend raises puffballs and I only get um when she's got an over abundance and is giving um away.
Saute.
Puffballs are solid and I don't even stop to pick um....NO FLAVOR>

[ChefHogan]

Have to agree with you here, BLAND,BLAND,BLAND! Saute' with lots of garlic, onion and seasoning and they are actually good mixed with fiddleheads atop a nice BBQ'd Porterhouse.

Hogan

Originally posted by shroomgirl
Now I know of 2 Pom Poms one is lacy and supposedly tastes like lobster, the other is a firm ball (puffball) I don't go out of my way for either. My shroom farmer friend raises puffballs and I only get um when she's got an over abundance and is giving um away.
Saute.
Puffballs are solid and I don't even stop to pick um....NO FLAVOR>

[mike]

The puffballs that we pick on my inlaws farm are enourmous , bigger than basketballs. You have to cook em within an hour of picking because they go off really quickly. I once read that if a single large puffball spores all germinated then the mushrooms produced would cover the earths surface.
With these big ones I cut steaks, marinate with oil herbs & garlic & grill em. they taste a lot like steak.

[ChefDude1]

PUFF BALL MUSHROOMS
The family Lycoperdaceae, the True Puffballs, contains many edible species. From a culinary perspective, these puffballs can be divided into two groups based on texture: firm and spongy (marshmallow-like). Firm puffballs include the Purple-pored (Bovista pila), Giant (Calvatia gigantea) and Western Giant (Calvatia booniana). Examples of spongy edible puffballs include the Gem-studded (Lycoperdon perlatum) and Pear-shaped (Lycoperdon pyriforme). All edible puffballs must be collected while still very young, before the spores have begun to develop - the interior flesh should be completely white. You must also be certain that the specimen is not an Amanita in its early button stage. For more about these Shrooms Click Here

Puff Balls do need to be infused with other flavors to work well, marinating them works very nicely. I just love to handle them like steak. Cut medallions on the thick side and caramelize them in a hot skillet with lots of butter and garlic. With the smaller ones you can also fill them with something like chicken mouse (massive variations), then toss them herbs and oil and roast them, after a nice rest they can be sliced and served warm with a earthy sauce like Madera. This makes a great appetizer.

ChefDude

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[mudbug]

wizcat3,

Here is a recipe for you.

[drx]

I've worked with pom poms quite a bit. You can cut them up and saute them. But If you want to keep it whole so it can be a cool garnish as well, bake it. If you don't cook it all the way, it is bitter in the center. I would advise cooking in chicken stock or butter and herbs and white wine, covered with foil in a pan, in an oven about 350 degrees, for about 15-20 minutes. They still have the "hairs" and puffiness, it's cooked all the way, tastes great and they look awesome as a garnish.
Just mt 2 cents.....

[ChefHogan]

Great page ChefDude, excellent work.

Originally posted by ChefDude1

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[wizcat3]

Thanks everyone for advice on these pompoms. they are still at the market so now I'll try them this weekend.
Mudbug, I when I click on "receipe" nothing comes up except the "Direct NIC" screen. Do u know whats up with that? Would love to have a real "how to" for my first try at the shrooms. W