Chicken of the Woods
Some Interesting Facts....
and a
recipe!
-
Chicken of the Woods are edible! It is named appropriately because when Chicken of the Woods is prepared correctly, it has the taste an appearance of chicken! There are many recipes available for ways to prepare this delicious fungi. Further down on this page you will find a recipe for using Chicken of the Woods in a rice dish.
- Mushroom hunting has become a very popular hobby
for people around the globe. Many species of mushrooms,
including Chicken of the Woods, are edible, which makes for a great
prize at the end of a successful day of hunting.
- Hunting requires a
sharp eye, as mushrooms can grow in very dark, damp, and
hard to reach places. You better be ready to get dirty
when hunting for mushrooms.
- However, with its distinct coloring and fruiting bodies that grow
above the soil, Chicken of the Woods mushrooms are easily spotted,
even while driving on the highway! They also fruit religiously
on the same material if their hypae are
left undisturbed. Some mushroom
hunters that know where to look for them
have reported that they can actually go
back to the same tree every year and
find their favorite Laetiporus
sulphureus fruiting and looking as
beautiful as the year before.
- However, with its distinct coloring and fruiting bodies that grow
above the soil, Chicken of the Woods mushrooms are easily spotted,
even while driving on the highway! They also fruit religiously
on the same material if their hypae are
left undisturbed. Some mushroom
hunters that know where to look for them
have reported that they can actually go
back to the same tree every year and
find their favorite Laetiporus
sulphureus fruiting and looking as
beautiful as the year before.
Here is a recipe taken from http://www.rrich.com/mslaetiprice.html to make an easy dish with Laetiporus sulphureus:
Laetiporus sulphureus with Fresh Rosemary and Garlic on a Bed of Wild Rice
- 10 oz. Laetiporus sulphureus (sliced)
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- 2 large cloves garlic
- 1/2 onion
- 2 Tbsp. butter
- 1 Tbsp. sherry
- 1 tsp. capers
- dash of salt and pepper
- 1 cup wild rice
- 3 cups water
- 1 Tbsp. butter
Boil the rice with 1 Tbsp. butter and a pinch of salt, covered, on low heat for 55 minutes. Start preparing the remainder about 15 minutes before the rice is ready.
Split one whole onion down the center from the top, and continue slicing half of it lengthwise so that it separates into strips instead of rings (save the other half for something else.) Crush and chop the garlic. Use a cured wok or large heavy frying pan, with a small amount of oil on medium heat. Sautée the Laetiporus sulphureus for 5-10 minutes, until almost tender. Add the onions and garlic, and turn up the heat to full flame to sear everything quickly. Add the butter, sherry, rosemary, salt and pepper, turning the heat down just a bit, and cook down for a moment until the liquid is gone. Sear a bit more and remove from heat just before anything burns. Toss the capers in after removing from heat. Pile the rice onto a serving platter, pile the sautéed mushrooms on top, and serve.