Wild Mushroom Caps Cooked in Embers, with A Mortar-Crushed Sauce 

Step 1

Start a fire. While the fire is going, chop the herbs and garlic roughly, then make the sauce by pounding the garlic and herbs with the salt and pepper in a mortar and pestle or a food processor, when you get a thick paste, thin it with the oil to make a rough sauce and reserve.

Step 2

When the embers have formed, push them into a pile and make a little cooking mound. Using long tongs to preserve your fingerprints, cook the mushroom caps quickly, but thoroughly directly on the coals, moving them around to ensure they cook as even as you can.

Step 3

When the mushrooms are cooked (a minute or two) remove them from the fire, brush lightly if they're not too wilted, and toss in a bowl with the sauce to taste.

Step 4

The good part here is that ashes generally aren't gritty. I ate all of mine, and some had more ash than others: they were all fine, not a crunchy one in them. Transfer the mushrooms and their sauce to a platter and serve with lemon wedges and some additional kosher or finishing salt.