Pig's ear

Gomphus clavatus

mushroom

A club-shaped then funnel-shaped mushroom with an earthy flavour and meaty flesh, served with red meat.

Origin

Conifer forests of Europe, mostly above 600 m

Season (United States)

July to October

Preparation

It is sliced from cap to stem and pan-fried for about ten minutes; it is eaten cooked. It upsets the gut of some people; old specimens turn bitter. If you pick it yourself, have the mushroom checked by a pharmacist or a mycological society before eating it.

Molecules

Mushroom beta-glucansIn small amounts, not counted Ergothioneine

Did you know?

Despite its French name, violet chanterelle, it is closer to coral fungi than to true chanterelles.