AKA Mushrooms in the Italian Style ... While this recipe actually comes from a 17th century source, marinated mushroom recipes exist as early as Roman times. I did not work out precise proportions for this recipe but rather the method. It makes a nice tidbit that can be set out for the first course of a feast or served as a snack.

• Small mushrooms,( by small I mean of a size to be a single bite. Or you could quarter larger mushrooms, but I think the whole ones look best.) Trim stems and rinse (I know a lot of people say you shouldn't ever wash mushrooms just brush them off to avoid having them soak up water, but unless you soak them for several hours they really won't become waterlogged.)
• Fresh Sweet Herbs. (I always like thyme with mushrooms, so used a lemon thyme and tarragon as my sweet herbs but you could use any combination you like.) Bruise the herbs and leave them whole if you choose to remove them or you can chop them small and leave with shrooms when you drain them.
• Fresh parsley
• Salt
• Olive oil for frying
• Additional Oil, vinegar and pepper for the vinaigrette

 Boil water, salt ( a good quantity) and sweet herbs and parsley in a deep skillet.

Add mushrooms in single layer to broth and boil for about 5 minutes. The shrooms will darken some. Dip out mushrooms and add a second batch if doing large quantities or simply drain for a small batch. (Broth is great for soups later) Heat oil and fry mushrooms for about 10 minutes. They will not get crisp, but will show some browning. Drain on paper towels and dress with a simple vinaigrette with pepper but no salt. (White wine vinegar and olive oil was the choice for this serving Red wine vinegar will darken the dish somewhat but tastes fine.) Chill and serve cold.

To dress mushrooms in the Italian Fashion
Take mushrooms, peel & wash then, and boil them in a skillet with water and salt, but first let the liquor boil with sweet herbs, Parsley, and a crust of bread, being boil’d. drain them from the water, and fry them in sweet sallet oil; being fried serve them in a dish with oil, vinegar, pepper, and fried parsley, or fry them in clarified butter.--The Accomplisht Cook, Robert May, 1685

Using generic white mushrooms was my choice both for availability and cost,  also their soft skins would not require peeling. In future I hope to try more exotic varieties but need to research what might have been available. The purpose of the slice of bread eludes me, unless it was to absorb excess salt?

This is one of the dishes I served at a luncheon for a friend being elevated to the Pelican.  You can see the menu at  Pelican Vigil Luncheon or see a more detailed write-up of the whole process in the article; A Pelican Vigil Luncheon 

Other Mushroom Recipes

 Mushroom Patina

Other vegetable recipes

• Armored Turnips
• Carrots Apician
• Chard Pie
• Genovese Tart
• Lentil Cucumber Salad
• Minted Cucumber Salad
• Onions in Sauce
• Parsnips Apician
• Pickled Root Vegetables