What To Do With Dehydrated Black Trumpet Mushrooms

Slofoodgroup Team February 19, 2022

Much like their name suggests, black trumpet mushrooms are dark and mysterious, yet capable of exuding a roaring flavor that will resonate through any dish to which they are added. As is the case with most ingredients that aren’t worked with on a grand scale, though, getting to know this little black fungus and familiarizing yourself with appropriate uses might seem a little daunting. 

The black trumpet mushroom is known by many aliases, among them are the horn of plenty, black chanterelle, and the highly dramatic, trompette de la mort, which is French for…dun, dun, dun…trumpet of death. Despite the spine-chilling nomenclature, the black trumpet mushroom will not send you spiraling toward imminent death. In fact, as far as wild mushrooms go, the horn of plenty is one of the safest options for beginning foragers because there are no toxic look-alikes and they are extremely easy to identify (that is, if you can train your eye to spot them in the first place).

If your are able to find wild Black Trumpets, that’s great, but they are so small and hard to spot in the wild that very few people have success in finding in their search. The good news is, they hold their flavor and texture remarkably well when rehydrated from a dried version, and in many cases, you might actually prefer your black chanterelles to be dehydrated. 

Culinary Uses for Dried Black Trumpet Mushrooms

Use black trumpets as a substitute for truffles

One of the black trumpet mushrooms aliases we failed to mention earlier is “the poor man’s truffle”. While they aren’t “cheap” in comparison to many other species, they can be purchased at a much lower price point than the world’s most expensive fungus—truffles. While the flavors of black trumpets and truffles do not fully parallel one another, the flavor profiles of the two are quite similar. As such, if you want to make that recipe that calls for truffles but don’t want to splurge on buying them, a black trumpet is a great option.

The black trumpet of death is a perfect addition to rice and pasta dishes

Sometimes, you come across an ingredient that packs in so much flavor on it’s own that it would be a culinary crime to dilute its excellence with an overabundance of other ingredients. Much like truffles, the earthy flavor of black trumpets shouldn’t be “covered up”. Give them a quick sauté and serve them over pasta and rice dishes with just a bit of olive oil, sea salt, and fresh-cracked pepper or a simple cream sauce and you’ll find yourself wallowing in flavor bliss. 

Grind black trumpet mushrooms into a powder and use as seasoning.

Ground, dehydrated black trumpet mushrooms might just become your new favorite “secret ingredient”, adding a somewhat sweet, yet earthy umami flavor to anything your heart desires. Use as a coating for meats, add to salad dressings, mix into savory pastry dough, stir into cream sauces and soups, or mix it with herbs and butter to create a compound butter to serve atop meats and seafood.