{RECIPE} Perretxikos (Basque Wild Mushroom Toast)

Sometimes the best recipes are the ones that get left on the cutting room floor. When I was finalizing my cookbook Basque Country, I had to make difficult decisions about what stayed and what went. This perretxiko recipe was one of the casualties, and honestly, it still stings a little.

What Are Perretxikos?

Perretxikoak (caloeybe gambosa, perretxiko in singular, perrechico in Spanish) are wild St. George's mushrooms that grow in the Basque mountains each spring. Named for their appearance around St. George's Day in late April, these meaty, pale mushrooms are treasured by Basque foragers who guard their secret picking spots jealously. The mushrooms have an intensely earthy, almost almond-like flavor that screams of mountain air and spring rain.

The Basque Answer to Pa amb Tomàquet

This recipe is rustic mountain food at its finest. Think of it as the Basque Country's answer to Cataluña’s pa amb tomàquet, but with wild mushrooms instead of tomatoes. Basque foragers taught me this method during a spring mushroom hunt, and I've been making it ever since. It's deceptively simple, which is precisely why it's so good.

The beauty of this recipe is its versatility. While St. George's mushrooms are traditional, you can use just about any wild or cultivated mushroom—chanterelles, porcini, even good-quality button mushrooms will work.

So, without any further ado, here is what would have appeared in my book if we hadn’t run out of space!

foto by Simon Bajada

Perretxikoak | St. George’s MUshrooms

Basques are avid foragers, and the perretxiko (caloeybe gambosa, St. George’s mushroom) is one of the first mushrooms of the year to appear. The term perretxiko is also used to refer to wild mushrooms in general, which gives an idea of the widespread nature of the fungi.  It appears in early spring, and is especially abundant and well-represented in the province of Araba, where it is eaten during the festivities of the patron saint San Prudencio, who has an important basilica in the Basque capital of Vitoria-Gasteiz.  In other areas, it goes by the name ziza, xixa, seta de Orduña, zizazuri, or ziza/xixa de primavera.

The creamy-white colored mushroom has a smooth cap that can range from two to six inches wide.  It has a perfect little stem and an earthy, faintly mildewy smell.  Those who forage claim it is best collected when a mild, southerly wind is blowing. Traditionally, perretxikos are enjoyed in a creamy scramble (see p. XX).  However, when speaking with avid foragers, many of them attest to enjoying their findings in a more simple way, a sort of Basque version of the Catalán pa amb tomaquet. They scrub the bread slices with raw mushrooms, heaping any pieces that have strayed back onto the bread before drizzling generously with olive oil and salt.

PERRETXIKOAK | ST. GEORGE’S MUSHROOM TOAST

7 tablespoons high-quality extra-virgin olive oil

1 sourdough baguette

200 g wild mushrooms, preferably calocybe gambosa

flaky sea salt

Cut the baguette into 6” pieces, and then slice those pieces in half along the equator. Heat a skillet with one tablespoon of the olive oil. Fry each slice of bread face down, until nicely toasted. Set aside.

If working with perretxikoak, scrub the bread with the mushrooms until they crumble into pieces. Heap them onto the pieces of bread. If working with larger wild mushrooms, you can also use a knife or mandolin to slice them thinly. 

Arrange the mushrooms, dividing them between the four pieces of toast, and drizzle generously with the remaining olive oil. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt.   

Serve.

NOTE:

This recipe is also delicious with other mushroom varieties—the earthier tasting the better.