Like the oyster mushrooms I wrote about in my lastpost, Chicken of the Woods is another great wild mushroom species for beginning foragers. It’s relatively easy toidentify, and has only a few look-alikes.
What’s more, Chicken of the Woods has the texture and taste of real chicken, making it an excellent meat substitute for vegetarians and vegans.
Chicken of the Woods are found in the spring through the fall in most areas. Look for these overlapping, orange, shelf-like mushrooms on living and dead trees, particularly oaks.
There are two species of chicken mushrooms.Laetiporus cincinnatushas a cream-colored underside, whileLaetiporussulphureushas a yellow underside and is also known as the Sulphur Shelf. The chicken mushroom with the white underside is generally thought to be the tastier of the two.Laetiporus cincinnatusoften grows above roots at the base of oak trees, whileLaetiporussulphureusgrows directly on the wood.
Hunt With An Expert
As with all foraging, the safest way to learn how to find Chicken of the Woods is to go hunting with an expert before heading out on your own. There are a few inedible, shelf-like mushrooms that beginners sometimes confuse with Chicken of the Woods, such asHapalopilus croceus,Inonotus, andBondarzewia berkeleyi.Make sure to compare images of these copycats to your foraging haul, so you don’t end up with something inedible or even potentially poisonous on your plate.
森林里的鸡在非常新鲜的时候最好吃。寻找柔软,柔软,多肉的阶段,避免老的,易碎的蘑菇。如果你把蘑菇从树上掰下来,一块蘑菇像潮湿的白垩一样折断,那就说明它太老了,不能吃了。
The best way to cook Chicken of the Woods is to cut the meaty lobes into 1/2-inch wide strips and cook them like you would chicken pieces. Substitute this mushroom in any recipe that calls for chicken, tofu, tempeh, seiten, or wild mushrooms (but note that this thick mushroom takes longer to cook than more delicate varieties).
I was lucky enough to find some very young and tender Chicken of the Woods last week. I decided to grill them and serve the mushrooms as an appetizer.
Grilled Chicken of the Woods
Ingredients
- 6 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
- 1/2 cup of fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 1 cup of extra-virgin olive oil
- Sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 pounds of Chicken of the Woods mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed, and cut into 1/2-inch wide strips
Directions
- Preheat a charcoal grill.
- Combine garlic, parsley, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
- Brush the mushrooms with the parsley oil.
- Grill the mushrooms over medium-hot coals. Baste often with the parsley oil and turn as necessary, until done (about 10 minutes).
- Serve hot or at room temperature.
For more information on Chicken of the Woods, visit:
- Mushroom-Collecting.com’s Chicken of the Woods Page
- The Missouri Department of Conservation’s Edible Mushrooms Page (look under “Sulfer Shelf.”)
Image courtesy ofamadej2008via aCreative Commons license.
Garrettsays
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Hi Rachel – great article, thank you for sharing your insight. I can’t wait to try them grilled. The recipe sounds delicious. I’m curious, do you think this chicken I found this morning is too old – can you tell by looking at it?
Thanks,
Garrett
Lynn paintersays
Where is a place to go in the Richmond Virginia area to forge