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Seriously, I'm not talkin' about our delicious feathered friends. There is a mushroom
that tastes like chicken breast...even the texture. I have read about it, I even ordered some mushroom plug spawn to grow
them. Until recently I had not seen one in person, let alone had the opportunity to eat one. From reading accounts about them
online, I was eager to find some. I love mushrooms and these sounded mouth watering.
About a week ago, as
I was driving towards Albion, I spotted a neon orange lump on a large stump. I wasn't sure that it was what I was looking
for because I didn't know what time of year the mushroom fruits (mushrooms usually fruit in a particular season). As soon
as I reached my destination, I Googled it and discovered they were in season.
Laetiporus sulphureus - An easy mushroom to recognize and
identify. The bright color is distinctive and you always find it growing on a dead or dying tree. It is best eaten when the
flesh is still young. As the fruit body matures it will become woody. But when the fruit is young, it will slice easily, have
a nutty/chicken-like flavor and have a texture like breast meat. It can be preserved by slicing off undesireable parts, washing
off debris, slicing and freezing. Fresh fruit tastes best, but the ones I froze and then cooked later still had a good flavor
and texture (put in a hot pan while still frozen).
Once I determined that the mushroom I saw was the right one, I stopped on the way home and
harvested my find. The portion nearest the trunk of the tree had beetles and some worms in it... pretty normal. I got a bucket
of saltwater and submerged them, cut out all the bad parts, sliced and inspected the fruit and found a tasty recipe!
Still sceptical of the chicken-like quality, I chose a recipe that would allow the mushrooms to be the feature
of the dish. I started with some real (organic) butter and melted it in a hot skillet. I sliced 2 cloves of fresh garlic and
threw that in with enough mushroom slices to cover the bottom of the pan without overlapping. As the fruit pieces cooked they
developed a beautiful pink color! I cooked them until they browned lightly on both sides. I then added a small handful of
sunflower seeds and seared those on high heat. At the end I tossed in some fresh cilantro and cooked until it wilted...I served
it over steamed, multigrain, wild rice. I couldn't believe the TEXTURE and color of the mushrooms! If I were a vegetarian,
I would feel guilty because it was so much like animal meat!!
If you decide to go mushroom hunting BE VERY CAUTIOUS! Even "safe" mushrooms
can cause allergic reactions in some people. Just like other food allergies (peanuts, tree nuts, milk, etc.). Do a lot
of research, ask people who are experienced mushroom hunters, take spore prints... and when trying a new mushroom, sample
a small amount and see if you have any bad reactions to it, before you eat a ton of it.
NEVER eat something that
you aren't 100% sure of!
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