Here is what is written in the Audubon Mushroom Guide (page 100) about the King Boletus (boletus edulis): "One may judge from its common name the high esteem in which this choice, edible mushroom, a well-known international favorite, is held. This species undergoes subtle geographic variation in stature and color, but all the forms are good to eat. It is one of a group of mushrooms with pores on the underside of the cap; collectively they are known as boletes."

Somewhat as an experiment, I decided to sauté this King Boletus and to add some pre-cooked, canned new potatoes for taste comparison. I sliced the larger wedges into about 16 smaller triangular pieces, as shown above left. Then I consulted the Better Homes & Gardens Cookbook for a basic recipe for sauteed mushrooms, and here is what I ended up doing. First, I put 1/4 cup of olive oil and 1/4 cup of butter into a medium sauté pan. Over medium heat, I let the butter melt into the olive oil. Then I added the pieces of King Boletus and stirred them into the oil and butter. Then I added 16 pieces of 4 quartered new potatoes and stirred. Next I sprinkled the mushrooms and potatoes with Cavender's Greek Seasoning, traditional variety Italian herbs, cayenne pepper and about a tablespoon of flour. I stirred and covered the pan. I let it cook for about 10 minutes, stirring or shaking the pan occasionally; and then I added 3 large minced cloves of garlic (about a tablespoon). I stirred and let it cook for another 5 minutes, until golden brown. Then I turned off the heat, stirred it again, covered it and let it cool down a bit. (For a stronger flavor, I am one who prefers to add garlic at the end of the cooking. You can, of course, sauté the garlic right at first, as most people usually do, before adding the mushrooms.)

What you see on the right above is the final result. The King Boletus had an unusual, almost nutty taste, not really similar to that of an ordinary supermarket mushroom. It is hard to describe it. I didn't find the "toughness" of the underside to be "unappetizing", but in some recipes it might need to be trimmed away. I also felt that I needed to sprinkle on a bit more Greek seasoning. You can season this to suit your own taste, of course, and omit the potatoes. But for an "impromptu" experimental dish, this was quite sufficient for my purposes. The lower righthand corner has an excellent view of a piece of this sauteed King Boletus.

How a five-star restaurant chef might cook a King Boletus, I do not know. Although I am a good cook, I am not a regular cook; and even though I may have an interest in wild gourmet mushrooms, I generally do not cook them or anything else, except perhaps for special occasions.

You can feel perfectly safe in cooking a King Boletus Mushroom, if you are lucky enough to have them growing wild near you. There are people in this world who will never reveal the exact location of where they obtain such delicate mushrooms as the King Boletus. Fortunately, here in Northeast Texas, there is no shortage of them. You can find them in most forested areas, I am sure, especially in our ecologically valuable woodlands near Sulphur River and White Oak Creek.