Sautéed Hedgehog Mushrooms

By
Molly Watson
Molly Watson
An award-winning food writer and cookbook author, Molly Watson has created more than 1,000 recipes focused on local, seasonal ingredients.
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Updated on 01/31/23
Sautéed Mushrooms
Molly Watson
Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Total: 15 mins
Servings: 4 to 6 servings

Hedgehog mushrooms look a lot like highly prized chanterelles and have a wonderfully sweet and nutty flavor when they're fresh. As with many wild mushrooms, older specimens will take on a strong mineral flavor that is less than enticing. Avoid disappointment by only buying wild mushrooms from places with a high turnover rate so you don't get stuck with them when they're less-than-delicious.

A fabulous way to cook hedgehogs is to quickly sauté them in oil or butter and sprinkle them with salt. This is a great method with any kind of mushroom, and particularly useful with expensive or hard-won wild mushrooms since it lets the true flavor of the mushrooms shine. Serve the sautéed hedgehog mushrooms warm or at room temperature. Mushrooms cooked this way are tasty served all on their own, but are also lovely tossed with pasta, added to pizzas, or piled on crostini atop a layer of creamy ricotta cheese. Sautéed mushrooms add lots of flavor and a toothsome texture to all sorts of dishes, so feel free to experiment. 

To cook hedgehog mushrooms without stewing them, cook only as many mushrooms as will fit in the pan you have in a single layer over high heat. With that in mind, know that you can double, triple, etc. this recipe, just be sure to work in batches so the mushrooms are cooking in a single layer.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound hedgehog mushrooms

  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil, or vegetable oil

  • 1 clove garlic, sliced, optional

  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, optional

  • Sea salt, to taste

  • Parsley, or chives, minced

Steps to Make It

  1. Trim and clean the mushrooms. First, cut off and discard any browned, dried, or bruised bits. Use a paper towel to brush off any dirt or, if the mushrooms are particularly dirty, give them a quick rinse under cold water and pat them thoroughly dry on paper towels. Small mushrooms can be cooked whole; larger specimens can be halved, quartered, chopped, or sliced as you like.

  2. Heat a large frying pan over high heat. When the pan is hot, add the butter and oil. When the butter is melted, add the trimmed and clean mushrooms. Stirring frequently, cook until the mushrooms have released their liquid, that liquid has evaporated, and the mushrooms are tender and starting to brown—about 5 minutes. 

  3. If adding garlic, do it now. Cook, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant and the mushrooms are browned. This should take about 1 to 2 minutes. 

  4. If using fresh thyme, add that after the garlic. Stir to combine it with the mushrooms, about 15 seconds. 

  5. Remove from heat and sprinkle the mushrooms with salt to taste (unsalted mushrooms really won't have the same flavor, so be generous as you sprinkle on the salt!). 

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
58 Calories
5g Fat
4g Carbs
2g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories 58
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 5g 6%
Saturated Fat 2g 8%
Cholesterol 5mg 2%
Sodium 114mg 5%
Total Carbohydrate 4g 1%
Dietary Fiber 2g 6%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 2g
Vitamin C 4mg 19%
Calcium 6mg 0%
Iron 1mg 8%
Potassium 273mg 6%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)