chicken of the woods.

The late Summer early Fall mushroom season provides us Minnesotans with Chanterelles, Hen and Chicken of the Woods mushrooms, Lobster Mushrooms and Giant Puffballs.

The Chicken of the Woods are awesome to come about in nature. Easily spottable and totally edible, the Chicken mushroom is bright orange and yellow and grows on dead or dying oaks. They vary in size but can get HUGE. It's a mushroom that stays nicely in the fridge and provides plenty of eating opportunities, even with a small amount.

The mushroom itself (they say) tastes like chicken. I think it tastes like an amazing mushroom, better than any chicken I've ever eaten. The smell makes my mouth water and simply sauteed with butter, salt and pepper it's a treat you won't soon forget.

It is possible to find wild mushrooms at some farmers markets, but that removes most of the fun. Get out into the woods and keep your eyes peeled for nature's treats. One note of caution - If you aren't sure about a mushroom you find in the wild, don't eat it! However, the Chicken of the Woods are really easy to spot and have no deadly doppelganger, unlike the Chanterelle which can be confused with the poisonous Jack o' Lantern.

We used the Chicken mushroom in a couple ways - Here is our recipe for risotto with corn, Chicken of the Woods mushroom and basil.

Rissoto with corn, Chicken of the Woods mushroom and basil.

1 cup wild mushroom, diced (any tasty wild mushroom would work nicely)

1 cup arborio rice

2 quarts corn stock (recipe below)

1 onion, sliced

1 bay leaf

3 ears of corn, cleaned with kernels removed, husks reserved

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon basil, shredded

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

salt and pepper to-taste

Begin by cleaning up the corn. Remove and reserve the husks, discard the silks. Cut away the corn from the cob and discard the cobs. Place the reserved husks and sliced onion into 3 quarts of cold water. Bring to a simmer and allow the stock to steep for 45 minutes to an hour. Strain and reserve and keep hot. You'll have more stock than you should need, but that's always a good thing.

Rinse the arborio rice. Heat a large saute pan over medium heat. Add butter to the pan, let melt. Add mushrooms and saute for about 2 minutes. Season with salt and fresh cracked pepper. Add the rice and stir, about a minute. Add the corn kernels and 1 cup of the hot corn stock, continue stirring the rice. Once the stock has been absorbed, add another cup of stock. Continue this process for about 30-35 minutes until the rice is al dente and creamy. It should take you 4 cups of stock per 1 cup of rice, but having more stock is better than not just in case the rice isn't done when you want it to be.

The idea with risotto is always the same - by stirring the rice through the cooking process, it will activate the starches in the rice and create a creamy texture.

Finish the dish by adding the fresh Parmesan and basil. Season with salt and fresh cracked pepper to-taste.

Voila.

--Jd--

Comments

[Roti n Rice]

This sounds really delicious with all the corn we are having right now in MN. I have not seen these mushrooms. Will have to take a walk in the woods :)

[Michelle]

This risotto looks perfect for the change in seasons!

[Jason Phelps]

I have never seen those type of mushrooms before, but I'd certainly take notice from now on. I'm not much of a shroom guy myself, but my wife would be pretty happy with a dish like this!

Jason