Chicken-of-the-Woods Satay

I always think this meaty bracket fungus is the perfect beginner’s mushroom. Resembling a stack of bright yellow dinner plates on the side of a tree (usually oak), it’s highly visible, totally unmistakable and – better still – tastes great. This Indonesian inspired dish is an unusual, but delicious way of eating this substantial mushroom . . .

Although some writers compare the flavour to chicken, I think it refers to the texture - certainly it tastes nothing like the mass-produced flabby seven-week-old birds we buy in a supermarket. Unlike most mushrooms, it does not break down when cooked, so use it as a meat substitute – a superior tofu or Quorn if you like. To take this to extremes, try it kebab-ed and served with a spicy peanut sauce – a perfect veggie barbecue option.

For the kebabs

1 kg+    Young chicken-of-the-woods
12     Skewers (pre-soaked for 30 minutes if wooden)
 
For the sauce

1 tspn Cumin seeds
2 tspn Coriander seeds
1 tspn Peanut/sunflower oil
3 Spring onions (chopped roughly)
2 Cloves garlic
3cm Stem ginger (peeled and grated)
1 - 5 Chillies (depending on taste and strength)
3 tbspn Thai fish sauce (light soy will do)
2 tbspn Crunchy peanut butter
Handful coarsely chopped coriander leaves

Chop the mushroom into roughly equal 2cm cubes. Thread on a skewer. Meanwhile, lightly toast the cumin and coriander seeds in oil, before adding onions, garlic, ginger and chillies – fry for a minute before adding sauce and crunchy peanut butter. Keep stirring for a couple of minutes, adding water to make a smooth, thick paste. Taste and season if necessary. Keep warm while cooking the mushroom skewers – depending on size of chunks and grill/barbecue temperature, these should take 5 – 15 minutes. Just before serving, reheat the sauce and serve the skewers on a bed of rice, topped with the peanut sauce and garnished with a flourish of fresh coriander.

Please click here if you would like to join our Newsletter mailing list

Latest

Newsletter

Mushroom Newsletter (18 January 2012)
I wouldn’t normally send out a newsletter this early in the year, but the weather has been so unusual that several readers have written in with reports of unexpected finds . . . .

Wildlife Profile

Hare
Brown hares used to be thought of as natives, but they were probably brought here two millennia ago . . .

Wild Food

Crab Apple
The self-seeded descendents of cultivated apples abound in hedgerows. Often mistakenly called 'crab apples', these sports are generally too tart to eat, but they make a brilliant base for a savoury jelly . . .

Recipes

Mushroom Parcels
These crunchy, fluffy, packages are a cross between a samosa and a pastie. They combine butter-brushed filo pastry, cream cheese and delicate fungi.to make a delicious starter, picnic filler or veggie maincourse . . .

Shop

German mushroom knife
These specially imported knives have a hawk's bill stainless steel blade, lanyard hook and measuring scale. The blade's serrated back and inbuilt natural bristle brush allow collectors to clean their finds in the field.

Website designed and Hosted by Mid Wales Design

Nochex Merchant Account