Black Trumpet Mushroom

This mushroom with a gloomy aesthetic (Craterellus cornucopioides) is a marvel of finesse. Lacking gills and thick flesh, it behaves almost like an aromatic herb. Its low water content allows for highly efficient natural dehydration, which multiplies its deep aromas of truffle and damp earth tenfold. Fresh, the black trumpet only tolerates a flash heating (sweating in butter) to maintain its subtly cartilaginous texture. Reduced to a powder after drying, it becomes an overpowered umami condiment to thicken brown sauces.