Porcini Powder (a.k.a. The Secret Weapon on My Spice Rack)
Powdered porcini mushrooms are one of my favorite secret weapons in the kitchen. It’s an almost instant way to add an incredible depth of earthy flavor to meats, veggies—and just about everything in between.
Today’s article is all technique, no recipe. And honestly? It couldn’t be simpler. All you need is a package of dried porcini and a coffee grinder.
About porcini mushrooms
Porcini mushrooms (a.k.a. boletus edulis) are large, pale-ish brown, edible mushrooms that grow in the wild. They’re also known by their French name, cèpes.
Fresh porcini can be hard to find in the U.S., but many grocers and gourmet shops will carry the mushroom dried. To reconstitute porcini, soak the dried mushroom in hot water for 20-30 minutes.
Grinding dried porcini mushrooms into a powder is a great way to preserve their flavor and make them easy to use in the kitchen.
Porcini Powder: Where to buy dried porcini mushrooms
Can’t find dried porcini? Order them online, or order some ready-made porcini powder from D’Artagnan.
Here are the dried porcini I picked up at the market:
Porcini Powder: 5 uses for powdered porcini
There are a lot of different ways you can use powdered porcini. Here are 5 ideas.
1. Rub a few steaks with olive oil, sprinkle with porcini powder, then sear them for an unbelievable crust (more info on this one to come tomorrow…)
2. Saute diced potatoes in duck fat and powdered porcini for out-of-this world hash browns
3. Add some into dough for buttermilk biscuits or buns studded with crispy bacon
4. Stir into chicken gravy or sprinkle on herb-encrusted chicken legs
5. Sprinkle on a pork loin or whole chicken before roasting
How to Make Porcini Powder: Grind up the dried porcini mushrooms
Really? That’s it.
Pick through your porcini, and discard any small stones or funky-looking mushrooms.
If your dried porcini are too big to fit in a coffee grinder, break them into smaller pieces. Alternately, pulse them a few times in a food processor.
When they’re small enough to fit, add a handful to your coffee grinder. Grind the mushrooms well. Thirty seconds or so ought to do it.
Let the powder settle for a minute or two before you take the cover off your coffee grinder.
You want them to break down into a fine powder, like this:
Transfer to a clean, dry bottle or jar. Keep in a cool, dark place. Will keep for months.
Stay tuned tomorrow for a fabulous, porcini-encrusted steak recipe.
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18 Comments
Potatoes in duck fat powdered with porcinis – my husband will think he has died and gone to heaven. Am definitely going to make this! Thanks Jessie.
Wheee! Thanks so much! Let me know how it turns out.
+Jessie
I also love porcini powder! I use it in many soups, pasta sauces, meatloaf, hamburgers, etc.
Merlini sells a great porcini powder what isn’t grittey or have a dir taste –
http://www.all-things-italian.com/proddetail.php?prod=0021&cat=51
This sounds so yummy. I have a question why the coffee grinder opposed to a food processor? I used a coffee grinder to grind flax seed before I got a processor.
Love mushrooms!I have always wanted to go on a mushroom hunt in Germany.
Can’t wait to read tomorrows post!
Cheers
Thanks, Bunny!
I’ve never had much success with the food processor. I mean, it will chop them into smaller pieces, but I can never get a fine powder with it. That’s why I switched to the coffee grinder. Let me know if you have different results?
And…OMG…mushroom hunt. That would be fabulous!
+Jessie
Does the fineness of the powder always matter? If, for example, I’m using it in a risotto that already has mushroom pieces in it then I could presumably get away with using the food processor method.
I so need to go on a search for porcini powder, I definitely want to try incorporating this seasoning in cooking!
Oh, definitely sniff some out if you can! It’s such wonderful stuff.
+Jessie
You know, I grind my own spices, but I have never thought to grind my own porcini. Great idea! I can’t wait to get this on the spice rack! Looking forward to the steak recipe. mmm.
Thanks, Haley, honey! Oh, oh…what kind of spices do you like to grind?
+Jessie
That’s Umami- baby! Pure and simple.
You can take a pinch and add to salt and shave of Parmigiano-Reggiano and you’ve got the healthiest yummiest flavor booster ever.
I also love making these things for gifts. Have darling little row of bottles in my Homemade Spice Rub recipe on Suite101.
Enjoyed this and thanks for the reminder, I’ve even got some shrooms I dehydrated myself hanging around here somewhere.
I love porcini mushrooms but I can never find them anywhere! It’s a good idea to make porcini powder so you can add the flavoring (just like truffle powder!)
What a great tip, Jessie! You’re right about mushrooms adding a nice earthy depth to dishes. Another way I achieve the same effect is with Better Than Bouillon Mushroom Base. The company makes a number of concentrates—chicken, beef, lobster, vegetable, etcetera—but the mushroom base is my favorite. A teaspoon makes a cup of broth, and it adds a lovely mystery to sauces.
AH HAH! I’m not the only one for whom the world stands still for porcini muchroom powder! I love it. It’s so easy to make and so versatile. I love with butter and pasta, and it makes the most amazing chicken seasoning with just salt and pepper.
Thanks for the tutorial! I’ve been wanting to do this but what I’m REALLY curious about is, what about all the grit?
Maybe the dried porcini I buy are just extra dirty but when I rehydrate porcini there’s always a bunch of grit still stuck to the mushrooms that I have to clean off plus a bunch more at the bottom of the soaking liquid that I then strain out with a very fine mesh strainer lined with paper towel.
What happens to all that grit when you grind up the dried porcini? Do you notice it in the finished product at all?
This spice is absolutely new to me. I can’t wait to try it out!
The only porcini mushrooms I could find are dried Porcini B at a health food market. I have been wanting to make a cheese and nut loaf recipe for a while and it called for porcini powder. I made the loaf tonight, before I found your web page. I used my coffee grinder to make my own powder but I didn’t know about the stuff that might be in the dried mushrooms so I just threw them in the grinder & went to town. I didn’t notice any chunks or what looked like stones, so I just used the powder right out of the grinder! The cheese and nut loaf came out awesome and, so far, I haven’t found any “grit” in it.
What does the “B” mean? Lower quality?
I’m going to look for rock & stuff on the mushrooms & then grind the rest of them to use in future recipes!
Oh WOW! I use porcini mushrooms when I cook a roast, then put all of the sauce, mushrooms, cooked onions in a blender and use it for the sauce/gravy. I NEVER thought of making them into a powder for other things! I can’t wait to do this!