Magic with mushrooms

The mushroom season is upon us, opening a luscious variety of tastes, textures and colours from the delicate to the pungent. So how about creating a few fungi dishes, their flavours set off by the right beers?

I'm all for wild food, be it nettle soup, crab apple jelly or sorrel in salads. But for my money, mushrooms are the most exciting food for free. Chances are busy publicans can't go fungal foraging - though I know a few who do - and only mushroom experts who can identify safe varieties should serve any they pick to their customers.

But in some areas professional mushroom hunters bring their bounty direct to pubs and restaurants. And many wild mushrooms, and plenty of exotics, are now readily available fresh, dried or bottled in supermarkets and delis.

Take oyster mushrooms. I collected half a kilo from a mouldy tree trunk the other day, but could easily have bought a mixed pack of pink, yellow and cream.

Lightly steamed they are a pretty topping to a pasta sauce made with stronger-flavoured varieties, such as thinly sliced baby chestnut mushrooms, cooked with garlic, cream and parsley. The coriander and lemon notes in a cloudy wheat beer make a refreshing accompaniment - in my view beer is almost a "wild drink" itself as it is produced from totally natural ingredients, even, sometimes, wild yeast.

I also choose oyster mushrooms for a steak and mushroom pudding, oyster stout enriching the gravy - or use root vegetables and pickled walnuts instead of beef for an autumn vegetarian dish.

From early September you might find ceps (porcini) in woodland. It is the king of mushrooms with its firm, meaty texture and intense flavour, in the shape of a penny bun (as it's known here). Slightly later comes its cousin, the bay boletus, another chunky chappie, but with a dark brown, velvety cap.

You can buy them imported from France and Italy. They are prohibitively expensive, but a few go a long way in adding flavour and texture to a dish - especially delicious with game, accompanied by a dark, spicy winter ale or vinous Trappist beer.

However, you can get all the flavour in a packet of dried ceps or mixed pack including boletus and morels as well. Soak less than an ounce in hot water then mix into a tasty stuffing along with the cooking liquor and a couple of drops of truffle oil.

Use it to fill the cap of a big, dark-gilled field mushroom, then wrap in puff or filo pastry and bake. To drink, choose a porter with roast flavours and creamy head.

Equally, used dried ceps to flavour a beer and boletus broth also containing fresh mushrooms, a malty bitter and root vegetables. Strain off the clear soup, bring it to a simmer, and add tiny dumplings with the cooked ceps (finely chopped) in the mix - or you could use ready-made wild mushroom raviolis.

Just one giant puffball provides countless starters for free. Dip thick slices in a beer batter then deep fry until crisp and golden. Serve with a dollop of beetroot relish.

Gorgeous golden chanterelles with their trumpet-shaped caps can be picked here in autumn, but are also now in many stores. Lightly fry with sliced leeks in a gravy to go with rack of lamb, and pour honey beer in the glass.

Or add to a delicately-flavoured tarragon sauce to serve with lemon sole accompanied by a pale pilsner.