Mushroom season in France

It’s (button) mushroom season 

Autumn is mushroom season and while keen foragers will be filling their trugs with cèpes and trompettes, it’s important to remember the humble and ubiquitous button mushroom – or champignon de Paris, as they’re known in France. 

Available pretty much all year round, the delicate Agaricus bisporus, which can be white, beige or brown depending on the variety, reaches its peak season in October and November. It may be less fancy than its stablemates but it’s a real workhorse in the kitchen – eat it raw, pan-fry it in butter, use it to whizz up a soup or a risotto, or add it to a ragout or an omelette… there are countless ways to cook button mushrooms.  

Despite being called the champignon de Paris, since the end of the 19^th century, these mushrooms have mainly been grown in the Pays de la Loire. With a high humidity level and a temperature below 15°C, Anjou’s mushroom cellars are the perfect spot for cultivation, but these mushrooms also grow in the Centre-Val de Loire, Hauts-de-France, Savoie and, of course, in the Paris region. Nearly 100,000 tonnes are produced on average each year, and globally, it is the most widely cultivated variety of mushroom. 

The oldest known traces of Agaricus bisporus date back to Ancient Egypt – it appears in a mural on a pharaoh’s tomb from 1450 BC – and it was also popular as a condiment in Roman times. But it was (according to legend) Jean-Baptiste de La Quintinie, Louis XIV’s gardener and creator of the famous vegetable garden at Versailles, who introduced the mushroom to the king’s table in the 17^th century. Over the course of the next century, mushrooms popped up all over Paris, grown on abandoned quarries to the south of the capital but, following the building of the Paris Metro, the fungi farms were moved to the Pays de la Loire.  

Back to the modern day, button mushrooms are best kept in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator and should be used within four days, otherwise they start to turn rubbery and soft. And a final top tip – if you’re using them raw, add a squeeze of lemon juice to stop them turning grey. 

Mushroom soup recipe 

Ingredients: 

• 2 tablespoons olive oil 
• 1 large shallot, minced 
• 4 cups mushrooms, quartered or halved 
• 2 teaspoons fresh herbs (like thyme or parsley) 
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 
• 1/3 cup dry sherry 
• 2 cups vegetable or chicken stock 

For the garnish: 

• 1/4 cup plain yogurt or cream 
• 3 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh chives 

Method: 

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the minced shallot and cook until softened, about 3 minutes.
2. Add the mushrooms and cook for another 5 minutes until they start to release their moisture.
3. Stir in the fresh herbs and black pepper, then pour in the dry sherry. Let it simmer for about 2 minutes. 
4. Add the stock and bring the mixture to a simmer. Let it cook for about 10 minutes.
5. Cool the soup slightly, then blend it in a blender until smooth. 
6. Return the soup to the pot and reheat gently.
7. Serve the soup hot, garnished with plain yogurt or cream and fresh chopped chives. Don’t forget a side of crusty baguette with lashings of butter! 

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