Beefsteak Fungus and Beetroot Salad

I have experimented with beefsteak fungus for a long time, but a decent result had always eluded me. However, during the creating and testing of new recipes for this book, I came across a new way to use the ‘poor man’s meat’ as they call it in Italy. It is actually one of the few wild mushrooms that can be eaten raw, and the combination of its acidity with the sweetness of beetroot makes, I think, for compulsive eating.