A 27-year-old woman from the UK turned an unexpected discovery into a week of inventive meals after finding a 5kg mushroom in a field in Buckinghamshire. Alissimon Minnitt, an experienced forager, was walking with her father when they stumbled upon the massive puffball mushroom, which she described as being “about twice the size of my head,” according to Fox News.
The family spent the following week experimenting with the mushroom, preparing various dishes. Minnitt’s first creation was a spicy fried mushroom, which earned a 10/10 rating. She then crafted a mushroom pizza, using the mushroom as the crust, which received an 8/10. Other dishes included mushroom pasta and “meat” balls, both of which scored similarly. The standout dish, however, was a mushroom “roast,” which Minnitt dubbed the “perfect vegetarian meatloaf,” giving it an astonishing 10,000/10 rating.
The giant mushroom sustained the family for an entire week, and Minnitt still has leftovers frozen for later. “I’m a little bit sick of it,” she admitted to The BBC, but noted it was worth the effort.
For recipe ideas, the family turned to TikTok, where one highlight was the mushroom-based pizza. After using much of the mushroom for meals, Minnitt froze the rest for future use.
While some foragers risk consuming poisonous mushrooms, Minnitt’s expertise ensured the safety of the discovery. The puffball mushroom is easily identifiable and considered one of the safer varieties to forage. “It looks like something from another planet,” Minnitt told The BBC.
This discovery is not her first large mushroom find; Minnitt encountered a slightly smaller one in the same area in 2017. Thanks to her extensive knowledge of foraging, she confidently identified the mushroom without risk.
For those interested, Minnitt’s culinary creations provide a new twist on mushroom-based dishes.
