Top Shelf: Wild mushrooms boost tenderloin

It’s early November, Queen Anne North, Seattle. The big dark has come. The temperature drops to below 7 degrees, the sun sets at 4:45 p.m., and the infamous Seattle rain begins. For those used to living life floating summer to summer, it’s the bitter reality of the current “situation”.

Bulky layers are added and that Moncler puffer now becomes a lifesaving immersion suit on an Atlantic crossing gone bad.

Feeling like Tilikum the orca in my puffer braving the 5 degree averages, I try a new sport: mushroom foraging with my new best chum, 5 year-old Ava.

The fall weather in Seattle is perfect for the instant growth of many types of edible fungi. Unfortunately, I did not discover the much-revered King Mushroom, the Mark Lanegan of Pacific Northwest mushrooms, but it did not take too long in Discovery Park to gather a basket full of golden chanterelles, lobster and bolete mushrooms.

All that’s left to do is keep it simple: A simple fry up of lemon, butter, garlic and rosemary matched with Snake River Farms tenderloin and a cabernet sauvignon from Ambassador Wines of Washington.

Mushroom Fry Up with Tenderloin

• 1 kg sliced boletes, lobster and chanterelles
• 1 lemon, cut in thick slices
• 2 sticks butter
• 6 cloves garlic, smashed with the back of a knife
• 10 cm branch rosemary
• Freshly milled pepper and sea salt
• 4 9-oz tenderloin steaks

Method:

• Sear the steaks on a hot griddle for 2 mins either side. Finish in a hot oven for about 5 minutes. Using a meat thermometer, aim for an internal temp of 120-130 F. Be sure to rest the steaks. While the steaks are resting, melt the butter and fry the garlic. 
• Add mushrooms and fry up, adding rosemary and lemon slices toward the end of the fry.