Mushroom Foraging

I have discovered at our house in Maine that the camp road that leads us in from the main road is lined with glorious fungi. More importantly, expensive fungi that costs me absolutely NOTHING to pick and eat.
I discovered this about 3 years ago (of course we've been at this summer house for 17 years, so obviously I'm a little slow on the uptake) and I plucked some of what I deemed to be edible mushrooms and brought them for identification to 'The Mushroom Lady' at our local Farmer's market. Thankfully for all concerned, I was right! I only pick these two out of the dozens of types I've seen as they are some of the most easiely identified.
The plate on the left are commonly called Lobster mushrooms and the plate on the right are the glorious Chanterelle.
The lobster mushroom is meaty mushroom, meatier in fact than most portabello (Large Crimini).
I bring a basket with me and a small clean paint brush. Since these mushrooms tend to grow in Hemlock woods or pine forests you will need to brush them off before you put them in your basket so they don't get completely messy with needles and some dirt.

After cleaning I chop the Lobster Mushroom and tear the Chanterelle. I saute them in butter in which a bit of minced shallot has been added. I then add a little salt to cause them to extrude their juices, sprinkle in a bit of Sherry or Cognac and then add some heavy or double cream.

Very, very good.

As always though be extremely careful when mushroom hunting and ONLY pick what you know.

Comments

[jason griffith]

I found some lobster mushrooms out in my yard today (southern washington state) and I read in my identification guide that they are not a mushroom - they are a mold that parisitizes a mushroom, hence based upon what they parisitize they could be poisonous. Any idea how to figure that out?

Jason

[John Murren]

David Arora (Mushrooms Demystified) considers them edible, as do many fine dining establishments, who all pay big bucks for them to satisfy their demanding customers. Yes, I've seen those cautionary notes in some guides, but they never seem to have any backup reference data. (Same thing happened to the tomato once!) Besides, they are practically the only summer mushroom available in our woods (Oregon), and they are delicious.
John

[jo]

Thanks for commenting John. I've eaten them many times without worry. The thing I need are more recipes for tem!

[Aaron]

lobster mushrooms are clever taxonomists. they only attack rusulla and lactarius species, both edible. and while those two mushrooms are barely worth eating, the hypomyces lactifluorum mold makes them worthwhile.

[Charlie]

Wow! Lobsters and Chantrelles outside your house?!? I'd probably never leave the property..
Anyways, I'm gald I'm not the only one who passes on the Lactarius and Russula species- I see them everywhere in the SF Bay area and up north, but I only grab them when in 'Lobster' form!
my first experience with lobsters was at Oliveto restaurant in Oakland, Ca,where I was a line cook in '99. On my second day, Chef/owner Paul Bertolli (of Chez Panisse fame) smiled nicley at me, then proceed to dump 5 lbs. of the largest, most pristine lobsters I have ever heard about in my workstation, and gave me a paintbrush and told me to get cleaning! (ouch) At any rate, I learend to do a 'flash' sear on them to accentuate the flavor and leave the meaty texture intact.
To cook them: To flash sear something, you need a couple of things. 1. a heavy-bottomed pan, skillet, or pot. To get a nice sear, the pan needs to be heated to the extreme, to the smoke point of the the lipid being used. Since all fats have a different smoke point, pick one that has a high burning temp, like canola or grapeseed oil. Olive oil works, but i stay away from the extra virgin beacouse it burns at too low a temp. Anyways, you know the oil is hot enough when it starts lightly smoking, which is where the heavy bottom comes in to play. If you have a thin 'bottomed pan, the metal will buckle under the heat and you can throw your pan out! that's why sometimes a tall-sided, heavy-bottomed pot is better to sear them(if your saute pans are too thin).

2. Cut the cleaned(NEVER WASH THESE MUSHROOMS!!!!!!!!!!)mushrooms into 'planks' matching the size bites you want to have. basically, you want the peices about 1/5 of an inch thick, cutting lenghtwise (my style) or not makes no difference, just cut everything evenly! As long as they are cut the same width, they will cook the same.

now add in the sliced lobsters and let them sit in the pan for 45 sec, shake the pan so they don't stick. give em' another 15-30 seconds, and flip all the mushrooms. Only the peices DIRECTLY and in flush with the metal bottom will sear, so it is best to do in smaller batches where the pan is not overcrowded. Only 20-30 seconds more cooking (stilol on high heat!) after you flip the shrooms. Now spread evenly on a cookie sheet to cool quickly.
The trick here is to seal the outside, and the iside (still raw because of the quick cook time) actually steams itself within the seared sides of the mushroom peice. If you cut the mushrooms too thick, they will still be raw and unchewable/undigestible, but if you cut them too thin they will be overcooked and disappear.
After you cook those bad boys, throw out your white button mushrooms and sub these in recipies that call for mushrooms! and invite me over:)

[jo]

Charlie;

Thanks for that cooking tip! I will be trying that this summer for sure.

[tish]

I took a course in mushroom hunting. We were taught that there are very few mushrooms which are deadly. There are some which will make some people sick and not others. There are some which will make you sick only when taken with alcohol. Teacher's advise was always leave one of each type you are eating in a tray wrapped in the refrigerator in case you need to go to a poison center. LOL.

[Aariq]

Hey Aaron, about the mushroom washing thing--mushrooms grow in places that rain, so they're always getting "washed". There are a few mushrooms out there where only the tops should be washed, like porcini, because the pores on the underside will get waterlogged, but prettymuch all mushrooms are fine to wash by running them topside up under the faucet.

[Brian Nelson]

I live on the west fase of Mt Hood Oregon, south slope and backed up to the Portland water shed. A short walk through the conifers and on good years there's buck's of Chanterells and I reciently discovered an area of Lobster roon's. Chanterell are more easly found while walking uphill. Season starts in the fall after first cold snap and rain. If it stays cool and only occasionl light rain you may be blessed with a long season, but if you get heavy prolonged rain's or a freez it's over. My question is where can I take a sample of the Lobster mushroom to confirm it's idenity. I live in Rhododendron Ore, largest city is Portland Ore. Thank's and good hunting, MtHood Man/heavenunderthehood

[Rachel Padilla]

I just went 'shrooning this morning in Northeastern AZ near Green's Peak area and came across bunches of what I have now identified as Lobster Mushrooms. I will be cleaning them later today as you have all instructed and attempt to cook them to perfection. I am looking forward to my first taste of this interesting 'shroom. Thanks for the info all!

[Ieva from Manitoba]

One of the best "feeds of lobster mushrooms" was done with faily thick chunks or slices fried up with butter and onions and then putting stirred up eggs into the pan for scrambled eggs........ cook the eggs as you like them but I recommend softly done as they will continue to be heated with the heat of the mushrooms.

Lobster mushrooms are also great in fettucine al fredo..