Don't Turn It to Mush! Tried-and-Tested Wild Mushroom Spread Recipe

The summer-autumn season in Murmansk Oblast is the time for preserving forest mushrooms. One of the most practical ways to keep the harvest is by making mushroom spread (ikra). This recipe is versatile: almost any edible tubular or gilled mushrooms work (boletus, aspen boletes, butter mushrooms, porcini, or honey mushrooms). The spread can be used as a standalone appetizer, a sandwich topping, a filling for pies, or an addition to sauces.

Ingredients

Boiled wild mushrooms — 2 kg

Onions — 500 g

Carrots — 500 g

Vegetable oil (refined) — 300 ml

Garlic — 4–5 cloves

Bay leaves — 2

Salt — 1.5–2 tablespoons (to taste)

Black pepper (ground) — 1 teaspoon (to taste)

Vinegar 9% — 1 tablespoon (for winter preserving)

Step 1. Prep and Boil the Mushrooms

Thoroughly clean the mushrooms of forest debris, dirt, and moss, then rinse under running water. Cut large specimens into pieces. Place them in a pot, cover with cold water, and set over heat.

Once boiling, skim off any foam, add a little salt, and cook over medium heat for 25–30 minutes. Drain the cooked mushrooms in a colander and leave for 15–20 minutes to let excess liquid fully drip off.

Step 2. Sauté the Vegetables

Peel the onions and carrots. Dice the onions finely, and grate the carrots on a medium or coarse grater. Heat 100 ml of vegetable oil in a deep skillet. Add the onions and sauté until translucent, then add the carrots. Cook over medium heat until soft, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.

Step 3. Grind the Ingredients

Pass the cooled boiled mushrooms and sautéed vegetables through a meat grinder. Using a meat grinder (rather than a blender) preserves the grainy texture characteristic of classic mushroom spread.

Step 4. Stewing

Transfer the ground mixture to a heavy-bottomed pot or a cauldron. Pour in the remaining 200 ml of vegetable oil, add salt, black pepper, and bay leaves. Stir well.

Set the pot over the lowest heat, cover with a lid, and stew the mixture for 45–50 minutes. Stir the spread regularly, as the thick mixture tends to stick to the bottom. Ten minutes before the end of stewing, add the garlic pressed through a garlic press. Remove the bay leaves so they don«t introduce excess bitterness during long storage.

Step 5. Preserving

If the spread is being preserved for winter, pour in the vinegar 5 minutes before it«s done and mix thoroughly.

Spoon the hot spread into pre-sterilized dry jars, pressing down lightly. For extra protection against mold, pour a thin layer (about 1 teaspoon) of heated vegetable oil on top. Seal the jars hermetically with sterile lids, turn them upside down, wrap in a blanket, and leave until completely cool.

Store the preserved jars in a cool, dark place (a cellar or refrigerator).

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