Porcini Trifolati — Thinly Sliced Wild Mushroom Preparation

Friuli-Venezia Giulia and northern Italy generally — the trifolati technique for mushrooms is used throughout northern Italy wherever porcini are found (the Veneto, Piedmont, Tuscany). The Friulian version uses the locally-specific nepitella herb.

Trifolati (from the Friulian/Piedmontese term referring to preparation in the style of trifola — truffle) is the standard preparation for fresh porcini and other wild mushrooms in Friuli: the mushrooms are cleaned, sliced thin, and cooked rapidly in olive oil and butter with garlic and fresh nepitella (field mint, specific to the region) over high heat until golden and concentrated, then finished with a splash of white wine and fresh parsley. The high-heat, rapid technique preserves the mushroom's texture while concentrating its flavour — completely different from the slow braise or soup preparations of other regions.

Fresh porcini trifolati is one of the greatest flavour experiences available in Italian autumn cooking — the seared, golden mushroom has a meaty, nutty concentration from the Maillard reaction; the garlic and nepitella add aromatic depth; the butter richness rounds everything. The wine deglaze brightens the final result. Served on grilled bread or alongside polenta, it needs nothing else.