So you found some Chicken of the Woods Mushrooms!
Congratulations – you have found one of the worlds most sought after fungus. Now how are you going to cook it? When cooking, I like to think of the chicken of the woods mushroom as chicken. It is a little bit more complicated, as there are a couple big differences between the mushroom and the meat.
Difference number 1:
The chicken mushroom will absorb and absorb and then absorb some more. You can not smother this mushroom in fats and oils, or it will soak up more than you can imagine and sit in your stomach like a lead weight.
Difference number 2:
The chicken mushroom will need moisture of some sort. Unlike the bird, the mushroom will not have a great texture if you just stick it in a pan and fry it up. It needs a liquid to help soften it up throughout the cooking process. Obviously this liquid should be delicious, because of the chicken mushrooms absorbing ability.
So you can use your imagination and experiment with this mushroom, but if you want a quick and easy recipe – here’s one of my go to’s.
Chicken of the Woods in a Garlic-Tomato, Sherry Sauce.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups chicken mushrooms
- cups chopped cherry tomatos
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or butter
- half an onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup cooking sherry
- 1 tablespoon basil leves
- salt and pepper to taste
Step 1:
Clean off your chicken of the woods mushrooms. As I talked about before, this mushroom is so very spongy and absorbent, that you really want to try to do this without the use of water. I generally just stand over the sink, and use my hands to break off any unwanted pieces while simultaneously rubbing down the chicken mushroom to clear off any dirt. After a good ol’ fashion rub down, I blow the surface of the mushroom clean with my mouth. Works great.
Step 2:
Chop up half an onion and 3 cloves of garlic and saute them in a large pan over medium in olive oil or butter. Cook until slightly browned. While doing this chop up your chicken mushroom into a mix of bite size and 2 bite size pieces.
Step 3:
After the onions and garlic are cooked, add in the 2 cups of chicken mushrooms. Toss in a half cup of cooking sherry, cover the pan and reduce to simmer. Let the mushrooms cook for 20 minutes.
Step 4:
Toss in the cherry tomatoes and the basil and salt and pepper. Cook for another 20 minutes on low heat, covered.
Step 5:
Serve, and enjoy. This dish is delicious on its own. But I often will have it served one of two ways. The first way is to toss over a salad for something reminiscent of a grilled chicken salad. The second way is to put the mixture in a sub roll with a little bit of cheddar cheese, and eat it like a sandwich. I think this second way is my favorite!
