Welcome to the summary page for FabulousFusionFood's Wild Food guide to Horn of Plenty along with all the Horn of Plenty containing recipes presented on this site, with 1 recipes in total.

This is a continuation of an entire series of pages that will, I hope, allow my visitors to better navigate this site. As well as displaying recipes by name, country and region of origin I am now planning a whole series of pages where recipes can be located by meal type and main ingredient. This page gives a listing of all the Cornish recipes added to this site.

These recipes, all contain Horn of Plenty as a major wild food ingredient.

Horn of Plenty, Craterellus cornucopioides (also known as Black Chanterelle, Black Trumpet and Trumpet of Death (or Trumpet of the Dead, from the French Trompette de la Dort)) is a very distinctive species of basidomycete fungus (filamentous fungi composed of hyphae that reproduce sexually) and is a member of the Cantharellaceae (chanterelle) family of the Cantharellales order that have white spore prints. It is a fairly common species that is typically thrives in oak and most especially beech woodlands. However, the fungus' dark colour and its typical habit of growing in deep leaf litter can make it difficult to find. Typically it fruits during September and October. The fungus typically grows gregariously in clumps that are unevenly distributed throughout woodland. The fungus is broadly trumpet or funnel shaped and hollow to the base with a top that's outrolled and wavy and which often splits as the mushroom matures. The outer surface of the trumpet starts of as dark grey or black and the inner surface is a dingy brown. The outer surface of the cap is spore-bearing and slightly ridged and begins a glossy black, but the white spores, when they mature, give it a grey-white bloom. Even young mushrooms are trumpet shaped and the flesh is thin, grey and leathery. This and the mushroom's appearance puts many people off collecting the fungus, but it is an excellent eating mushroom. Like the related chanterelle, it can be eaten raw but has an earthy taste that may do not find pleasant, but this disappears on cooking.

The horn of plenty is considered amongst the great gourmet mushrooms and you will pay a premium in any restaurants serving it, indeed, it is collected commercially in Continental Europe. Typically it is lightly fried in butter and the horn is stuffed before serving. It also makes a very flavoursome addition to soups and sauces. The horn of plenty can also be preserved by pickling and, unlike the related chanterelle it also dries well. It is especially good if dried, ground and used as a condiment.

This is a very versatile mushroom and prized by French cooks. It can be prepared as a terrine, pâté, as a marinade, a tagine, fricassée, stew and soup as well being fried, baked and steamed in puddings.





The colour, shape, and habitat of this mushroom means that it's very difficult to confuse with any other fungus. Indeed, there are only two species it can be confused with and both are edible. The first of these is the Ashen Chanterelle (cantharellus cinereus) which is very similar in shape and colour but has spores bourn on wrinkles on the mushroom's surface. It is, however, uncommon in deciduous woodland, where the horn of plenty is found. The only other mushroom that might cause confusion is the young and immature form of the Blackening Russula (Russula nigricans) which can look trumpet shaped (but mature specimens have a different shape). However, young Blackening Russula is entirely edible.

For other edible mushrooms, see the guide to edible mushrooms

References:

[1]. David Evans Notes from field observations, tastings and cookery experiments.
[2]. Huxley, A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992
[3]. Tanaka, T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World.
[4]. Lim T.K. Edible Medicinal And Non-Medicinal Plants, Vols 1–8.
[5]. Thomas, G. S. Perennial Garden Plants
[6]. Milner, E. Trees of Britain and Ireland
[7]. Rose, F. & O'Reilly, C. The Wild Flower Key (Revised Edition) – How to identify wild plants, trees and shrubs in Britain and Ireland
[8]. Streeter, D. & Garrard, I. The Wild Flowers of the British Isles
[9]. Clapham, A.R.; Tutin, T.G. & Moore, D.M. Flora of the British Isles
[10]. Phillips, R. Mushrooms
[10]. Phillips, R. Mushrooms
[11]. Jordan, P. & Wheeler, S. The Complete Book of Mushrooms: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Edible Mushrooms
[12]. Bunker, F.; Brodie, J.A.; Maggs, C.A. & Bunker, A. Seaweeds of Britain and Ireland.
[13]. Facciola, S. Cornucopia — A Source Book of Edible Plants