BEST MADE PROJECTS • Mycology Is Better Than Yours, By Laura Silverman,...

Mycology Is Better Than Yours,
By Laura Silverman, Best Made Guide to Food

With the first chilly nights of the season arriving, those of us who live in the woods—or even near just a few oak trees—begin to dream of mushrooms. When the air turns crisp and smells of wet moss and rotting leaves, the time to forage is nigh. Of late I’ve found scores of black trumpet mushrooms, as fragrant as truffles, and more hen-of-the-woods than I care to recall (30+ pounds). I made tempura and soup, dried some of it, preserved some in oil, froze a lot more and turned the rest into stock.

This beautiful chicken mushroom, a perfect specimen of Laetiporus sulphureus, aka the Sulfur Shelf mushroom, was like a big orange bow at the foot of a neighbor’s oak tree. It’s considered a good entry-level wild edible, because its distinctive look isn’t easily confused with anything remotely poisonous. My trusty Opinel mushroom knife has a thin, curved blade with a serrated back that made short work of removing the chicken from the bark. The boar hair brush is great for dispensing with clinging dirt and the inevitable kerfuffle of worms, spiders and earwigs that come scurrying out. After a good trimming and a thorough drying, a rather large quantity of this firm, meaty mushroom was sauteed in butter—with a little garlic, thyme, stock and a splash of cream—and served over toast. It was the supper of my dreams: wild, free and spectacularly seasonal.

Chicken Mushrooms on Toast (serves 2)

1 pound wild chicken mushrooms, young tender parts only

1 large clove garlic, minced

1 small shallot, minced

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

2/3 cup chicken stock

1/3 cup cream

sea salt & fresh pepper, to taste

4 pieces good quality toast

minced parsley, for garnish

Make sure mushrooms are clean and dry. Ideally, soak them in salty water for 30 minutes, then rinse and dry, laying them out on paper towels. When ready, slice mushrooms into long slim pieces.

Heat a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat and add butter and olive oil. When melted, add garlic and shallot, stirring until golden. Add thyme. Toss in mushrooms and stir to coat; sauté for several minutes and then add stock. Cook until stock reduces, then add cream. Raise heat and simmer vigorously, letting sauce thicken. Remove from heat and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Place 2 pieces of toast on 2 plates, spoon mushrooms over and garnish with parsley. Serve immediately!

Purchase the Boar’s Hair Mushroom Knife

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