Roussillous

Another local milk cap, good but not quite as good, is found in spruce or pine woods and appears in autumn, vividly piled on market stalls at Carcassonne and elsewhere. Look for conical, amber-coloured mushrooms, stained blue on the cap. It’s the Lactarius deliciosus, also known as barigoule or catalan. Spicy and crisp, these are much appreciated straight from the grill, although they may also be pickled before they are eaten, to remove the bitterness. for marinated mushrooms with raisins.

Roussillous and rovellos are often grilled over vine prunings, with drips of lard or bacon fat poured onto them to crisp them up. Another method of barbecuing them is the Roussillonade – the fire composed of pine-cones. You have brought with you a small metal grill, some olive oil, salt, bread and a fresh sausage, about 250g for each picnicker. Place the grill over the embers and grill the sausage and the mushrooms, lightly sprinkled with olive oil and salt. A scattering of chopped garlic and parsley is also good with any wood-grilled fungi.