"Chicken of the Woods" on the Menu

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rf1170
rf1170 Posts: 180 Member
in Recipes
Anyone else love wild mushrooms? They might be the only bright spot after all these rainy days here in Maryland. The Chicken of the Woods, or Sulfur Shelf (Laetiporus sulphureus), might not be considered a "choice" edible, but I personally love it. If you're walking near dead/dying oak trees (or driving), keep your eyes open for big orange mushrooms in the distance. The fruits are enormous (there can be as much as 50-100 pounds on a single tree), and there's no mistaking it for any other mushroom, let alone a poisonous one. My older brother brought this one to me today, and I whipped up a tasty soup for dinner. I'll post the recipe here, and I'll keep you updated on the other things I make with it!

cotw.jpg

It has a dense texture, much drier and chewier than the common button mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus) in grocery stores. Its flavor is very meaty (hence the name), a little tangy/citrusy, and even more pronounced when it's sauteed in some butter. As with any wild mushroom, you should take care to clean it well (brushing it with a paintbrush or wiping with a wet paper towel) and cook it thoroughly to make it easier to digest. Here's the Chicken (of the Woods) Noodle Soup recipe I made tonight, which makes four hearty servings:

2 Tbs. butter
2 Tbs. olive oil
2 cups egg noodles
1/2 pound Chicken of the Woods mushroom, sliced into small strips
4 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup white wine
2 leeks, trimmed, rinsed, and minced
1 large clove garlic, minced
2 Tbs. parsley
1 tsp. curry powder
1/2 tsp. ground cayenne pepper
several saffron threads
sea salt
black pepper

Heat the butter and olive oil in a large pot, then saute the leeks until soft. Add the mushroom, and continue cooking until it's soft and the edges are golden brown. Add the garlic and other spices (except the saffron), and sautee for about 30 seconds. Add the wine and stir well, allowing to cook for several minutes until the mushroom has absorbed most of the wine. Add the chicken stock, saffron, and noodles, and simmer until the noodles are cooked. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Other Sulfur Shelf dishes whirling around in my head: a cream cheese dip/sandwich spread flavored with finely diced, cooked mushroom and herbs. Mushroom pot pie. Cream of chicken (of the woods) soup. Any other ideas? I'd love to hear 'em. :)

Replies

  • chanstriste13
    chanstriste13 Posts: 3,277 Member
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    this sounds so cool - thanks for sharing!
  • dovesgate
    dovesgate Posts: 894 Member
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    Wild mushrooms don't grow around here that I know of which is extremely unfortunate now that I have read this recipe. Sounds delicious!

    I love fall and winter weather - it is soup weather and I am always looking for good recipes.

    How would this taste with a different type of mushroom?
  • sawarden
    sawarden Posts: 5 Member
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    One of my favorite mushrooms to pick while hiking through the wood. Great sauteed up with a little seasoning on them also
  • kyylieeeeee
    kyylieeeeee Posts: 197 Member
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    This makes me so jealous! My cousin and I found a giant amount of it growing on a dead tree at my grandparents' lake house...unfortunately, since it was so low to the ground, it had all sorts of grass growing through it. We only were able to salvage about 1/8 of it! I wish we'd been able to have more, it was fantastically tasty and different.
  • mjshmily
    mjshmily Posts: 137 Member
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    Oh my Goodness!!! I haven't seen those in a LONG time, I used to live on a remote beach on Vancouver Island and we would do all sorts of stuff with those. They were a food staple, along with miner's lettuce, salmon berries and a lot of lingcod!

    We literally used them anywhere you'd use cut up chicken. A lot of stirfry, or with poached fish. We dried a lot for soups and stews too.
  • anjukins
    anjukins Posts: 103 Member
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    What a gorgeous picture!! I LOVE wild mushies!!! I especially love Maitaki aka Hen of the Woods. It's like a grey rosepetal version of the Chicken of the woods :) So so so delicious. I think it might be my favorite food.
  • rf1170
    rf1170 Posts: 180 Member
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    Wild mushrooms don't grow around here that I know of which is extremely unfortunate now that I have read this recipe. Sounds delicious!

    I love fall and winter weather - it is soup weather and I am always looking for good recipes.

    How would this taste with a different type of mushroom?

    That's too bad! The flavor would be different with another mushroom, but that's not necessarily a bad thing! If you can't find any fresh wild mushrooms where you are, try looking for some dried ones - porcini and maitake are my favorites, and the dried flavor is actually more pronounced than when they're fresh. If you use those, you might want to adjust the seasoning a bit. Curry and cayenne might not go as well, but fresh thyme or rosemary might be good. Good luck, and let me know what you make!
  • rf1170
    rf1170 Posts: 180 Member
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    What a gorgeous picture!! I LOVE wild mushies!!! I especially love Maitaki aka Hen of the Woods. It's like a grey rosepetal version of the Chicken of the woods :) So so so delicious. I think it might be my favorite food.

    Ooh, I know! I love Hen of the Woods too; I've had my eye on an oak tree near my house for the last few weeks because I saw some of last year's mushrooms at its base. I need to get out there - I bet it's at least close to ready!
  • rf1170
    rf1170 Posts: 180 Member
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    Oh my Goodness!!! I haven't seen those in a LONG time, I used to live on a remote beach on Vancouver Island and we would do all sorts of stuff with those. They were a food staple, along with miner's lettuce, salmon berries and a lot of lingcod!

    We literally used them anywhere you'd use cut up chicken. A lot of stirfry, or with poached fish. We dried a lot for soups and stews too.

    I was wondering whether they'd dry well. I was thinking that if I have any left over from this one, I would dice and sautee it with some herbs and then freeze it. It would make a good soup base, or maybe be good in some omelets. But perhaps I'll try drying some too. Thank you!
  • mjshmily
    mjshmily Posts: 137 Member
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    Yes-they dried quite well. We also used to make a vegetable mushroom soup stock and cook it down really well so it was concentrated and then can it (though freezing is fine as well).
  • TheRoamingWino
    TheRoamingWino Posts: 5 Member
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    Wow - talk about eating local!! If I don't come across those mushrooms can I sub with portabella?
  • Erica0718
    Erica0718 Posts: 469 Member
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    Interesting... I love mushrooms but I don't know which ones are edible. I would have thought to stay away from this one because of it's brighter color and that can sometimes mean caution in nature. Around here we have mushrooms called "Dryland Fish" They grow on the ground in shaded moist areas and look like a sponge they are delicious but I have not seen any in a long time.

    Thanks for posting
  • rbryntes
    rbryntes Posts: 710 Member
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    There's a post in the DC Craigslist that someone has 20+ pounds of chicken of the woods available and to come and get it. I am just leery of grabbing mushrooms like that.
  • GuruRas
    GuruRas Posts: 17 Member
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    What a great picture!! After cleaning them up a little we've dried them in our dehydrator and also tried freezing them. They last really well both ways.

    For years I've tried to determine which were Chicken of the Woods and which were Hen...

    Wikipedia has some nice pics showing the difference:
    - Chicken of the Woods http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laetiporus
    - Hen of the woods http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grifola_frondosa

    We have more hens in New England where I'm from.

    Enjoy!
    Gurras
  • rf1170
    rf1170 Posts: 180 Member
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    Wow - talk about eating local!! If I don't come across those mushrooms can I sub with portabella?

    I'd say go for it! It will be a different soup, but probably a good one. I might swap the seasonings for something more appropriate to portabello, though; maybe thyme and garlic? Good luck!
  • rf1170
    rf1170 Posts: 180 Member
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    Interesting... I love mushrooms but I don't know which ones are edible. I would have thought to stay away from this one because of it's brighter color and that can sometimes mean caution in nature. Around here we have mushrooms called "Dryland Fish" They grow on the ground in shaded moist areas and look like a sponge they are delicious but I have not seen any in a long time.

    Thanks for posting

    That's what I initially thought about it, too! I only started eating wild mushrooms after a season of identifying them, and I still don't take any chances when I'm uncertain. As for the "dryland fish," I bet you're talking about morels, right? (not my photo)

    yellow-morel-xxx465.jpg

    I love them! I've only been able to eat some "found" morels once so far, but hopefully I spot more next spring!
  • rf1170
    rf1170 Posts: 180 Member
    Options
    What a great picture!! After cleaning them up a little we've dried them in our dehydrator and also tried freezing them. They last really well both ways.

    For years I've tried to determine which were Chicken of the Woods and which were Hen...

    Wikipedia has some nice pics showing the difference:
    - Chicken of the Woods http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laetiporus
    - Hen of the woods http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grifola_frondosa

    We have more hens in New England where I'm from.

    Enjoy!
    Gurras

    Lovely! Hen of the Woods (Grifola frondosa) is great too - I'm not certain whether New England varieties are the same as Maryland's, but I would imagine so. Around here, they grow at the base of oak trees (live, dying, or dead), and return every year, as long as conditions are right, for decades sometimes. They're always grey/brown, never orange, and their undersides are white. To me, the Hen looks more like coral, where the Chicken looks more like a flower. If you see yellowish or white Chickens, they're probably old, from last season. Both the Hen and the Chicken are soft, springy, and tender when they're young and prime. Happy hunting!

    And mjshmily, that's a great idea - I always save my veggies craps for stock anyway, so this time I added the mushroom stems as well. Hope it's good!

    I made polenta with some of the mushroom yesterday, and I thought I'd share the recipe here. If you've never made it before, do yourself a favor and try it! It's so good, and it's a nice change of pace from potatoes or other starchy sides. The basic ingredients are corn meal, stock/water, and butter/oil. Feel free to add anything else that you think will be delicious!

    2 Tbs. butter
    1 leek, rinsed and chopped
    1/2 pound Chicken of the Woods mushroom, sliced
    4 cups chicken stock (water is fine too, but not as flavorful)
    1 cup corn meal (freshly ground is the best!)
    2 Tbs. butter/olive oil
    sea salt, black pepper, and Parmesan cheese to taste

    Heat the butter and saute the leek and mushroom until soft (the mushroom will probably soak up all the butter; this is a very good thing). Pour in the chicken stock, bring to a simmer, and whisk in the corn meal. Turn the heat down, simmer, and stir occasionally for 30-45 minutes, or until the polenta is thick and creamy looking. Off the heat, stir in the butter/oil, salt, pepper, and cheese to taste. You can serve hot, like mashed potatoes, or pour into a pan and let cool. Cut the polenta into squares, serve hot or cold, and fry the leftovers in some butter or olive oil the next day for a great treat!
  • Erica0718
    Erica0718 Posts: 469 Member
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    Interesting... I love mushrooms but I don't know which ones are edible. I would have thought to stay away from this one because of it's brighter color and that can sometimes mean caution in nature. Around here we have mushrooms called "Dryland Fish" They grow on the ground in shaded moist areas and look like a sponge they are delicious but I have not seen any in a long time.

    Thanks for posting

    That's what I initially thought about it, too! I only started eating wild mushrooms after a season of identifying them, and I still don't take any chances when I'm uncertain. As for the "dryland fish," I bet you're talking about morels, right? (not my photo)

    yellow-morel-xxx465.jpg

    I love them! I've only been able to eat some "found" morels once so far, but hopefully I spot more next spring!



    Yes those are what I was talking about and they are delicious, I really need to take the class that you did so I know what is safe to eat. Very Cool, hope you post more recipes with wild mushrooms I will be looking for them :)
  • rf1170
    rf1170 Posts: 180 Member
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    Great! A class is a great opportunity to learn more, if you can actually find one. If not, find an old timer who knows shrooms, or do what I did - get the Audubon Society Field Guide to Mushrooms and any other book about shrooms you can get your hands on. Read, read, read, and check out mushroom websites (shroomery.org and mushroomexpert.com are good). You can probably also find a nice, smaller guide to edible mushrooms common to your area (they have them for the Pacific northwest and east of the Mississippi, I'm sure there are others). Familiarize yourself with the parts of a mushroom, the family groupings, and the basic characteristics used for identification. Then start looking for shrooms! I would recommend simply trying to identify the first mushrooms you find, unless you have someone with experience who can help you positively confirm them. Good luck!
  • anjukins
    anjukins Posts: 103 Member
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    and remember the old adage: "there are old mycophiles, and there are bold mycophiles". Don't eat anything you're not POSITIVE about, and it is so great to have a real, knowledgeable mushroom-hunter to take you around for your first season. Morels and Oyster mushrooms are good ones to start with, I think, because they are so easy to identify. Also, when i first started id'ing mushrooms, I would take three reference books to cross-reference... my favorite is 'all that the rain promises and more', by David Arora :)

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