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Cooking with mushrooms
Overview by species
Shiitake
Shiitake would have to be one of the premier culinary mushrooms and for this reason
they rank amongst highest volume in mushroom production worldwide. They have
a delicious woody aroma with a real 'meaty' element to the palate. Once seasoned
to the taste the mental image of a dish like shiitake with beef, a miso soup
with shiitake, or a stir fry with shiitake and vegetables is sure to induce
salivation. Even the sight of a log clustered with these delicious morsels is
quite exciting to the serious enthusiast. Shiitake goes well with anything with
a similar meaty flavour or any dish that needs that little bit of extra kick
in flavour. For someone hesitant about 'new' mushrooms a few shiitake in a dish
can spark new interests. If using dried shiitake from the shops or your own
excess crops rehydrate in water before tearing or slicing up into bite size
pieces. It doesn't take long just a few minutes if you are in a hurry. Shiitake
are safe to eat raw* and fresh shiitake can be experimented with in raw dishes
but be sure to not include the woody stem, though it may be added to stocks. Shiitake has long been accredited
with medicinal qualities and many of these have been validated. After a shiitake
meal we always feel better. Fresh shiitake has a slightly different and milder
flavour to dried shiitake whose aroma is intensified in the drying process.
Because shiitake is a new food amongst the general Australian population and
very little is produced here most of what we are used to is made from low quality
imported dry mushrooms, which are still pretty good so imagine how good it can
get! Once you have a few logs producing its time to make some Japanese or Chinese
friends who will show you a thing or two with fresh shiitake and your other
east asian
mushrooms.
*Mushrooms are perishable like other foodstuff and the way
its been handled or contaminated during transit will affect
this. Fresh is best.
Oyster mushrooms
Oyster mushrooms encompass a range of species, the most common in Australia
being, Pleurotus ostreatus, known simply as the oyster mushroom. With
Funky fungus innoculum, some imports and soon commercial growers we are going
to see a whole lot more species on offer and they all respond slightly different
when cooked. They all dry well. Subjectively we would rank in terms of quality and acceptability
to most peoples palates the Pleurotus genus as below;
The King Oyster,Pleurotus eryngii and its close relatives by a
length, this mushroom is amongst the best of the cultivated mushrooms. It has a
firm texture, good shelf life and is more meaty around the stem which is fairly
upright with a reduced gill and cap area, this gives it more of a typical
mushroom shape and lends itself to slicing up in a similar fashion. It has a
sublime aroma and lovely flavour and texture when sliced and fried till the
edges turn golden. Its texture when cooked right is almost identical to
perfectly cooked Calamari, slippery with a crunch at the end, though the flavour
is entirely unique. Its origins are around the Meditteranean sea including
southern Europe, north africa and the levant and the best traditional dishes will
no doubt come from there. Italian dishes using Pork and chicken are amongst
those this mushroom is added to. Our palate tells us they would do well with
a moroccan style dish as well, and they do occur and are collected in North
Africa.
Next up is the Common oyster, Pleurotus ostreatus, this fan shaped mushroom
is the classical oyster mushroom shape. Oyster mushrooms are mild tasting but
seem to enhance other flavours in a dish. Their texture is slippery but not
slimy, they do have that meaty appeal to the palate and go well with vegetables,
pork, chicken and other mushrooms. To prepare tear them down the lines of the
gills to make triangular pieces big enough to eat. Or if you prefer chop them
up any old way. Young mushrooms are much better than a full grown wavy capped
specimen though for medicinal properties it is the spores that are highest.
They are fully ready when large but with the cap still plane or incurved. If
you can't eat them at this stage pick them anyway and dry while still in their
prime as they dry well and keep well. Oysters arent like fruit, you dont have
to wait till they expand fully, pick as soon as they look worth picking.
The Golden oyster (Pleurotus citropilineatus) is a stunningly beautiful
mushroom equally at home as a garnish or in a dish. You wil be amazed at the
vibrance of the yellow colouration. They are a delicate mushroom that we enjoy
cooked at high heat until lightly caramelised when they have a subtle nutty
flavour we think would complement seafood or chicken.
Next up are the Abalone mushrooms (Pleurotus cystidiosus and Pleurotus
abalonus, no unfortunately like the lobster mushroom it not the flavour
that they are named for, and luckily not the unprocessed texture either! But
they do have a firmer meatier body than the Common oyster but otherwise are
interchangeable in cooking.
The Pink (Pleurotus djamor) and two native australian oysters we have (Pleurotus
australis and
Pleurotus purpureo-olivaceus) are all quite new to us so we rank them all the same. The Pink
doesnt stay pink when cooked, is definitely best young and reports are varied
from a distinct no, to others who really like it.(Ed- we've had more
experience with the pink oyster now and we quite like it with young specimens
definitely being the best).
Either way they look cool in the tropical garden. The Native oysters has not
been collected by us in sufficient quantity to eat, just to clone and take spores.
We are undertaking cultivation experiments on their native woods now and hope
we will soon know. Others have related that the cap is quite tough, this may
not be a bad thing if it goes with extended shelf life and is easily peeled
off.
Taxonomic info on more Pleurotus species
here
Elm oyster
Elm oyster or "shimeji" (Hypsyzigus ulmarius). Labelled as Shimeji in australia
this is not the shimeji of Japan or North america, which are 2 other species.
In Japan shimeji is primarily a Lyophyllum species and another species
related to the elm oyster, Buna shimeji (Hypsizygus tessulatus). The
Elm oyster takes from the best of Pleurotus ostreatus and adds to it
increased size, better texture and flavour and a meaty and edible stem. Shimeji
sold in the shops here undervalues its true potential by harvesting at a young
cluster stage, when the full flavour and texture are underdeveloped. They are
best when fully mature just as the cap rim unfurls. They release less spores
and keep better than Oysters. If it wasnt for their sheer adaptability and set
ideas no-one would cultivate any oyster but P eryngii, theyd all grow the elm
oyster, just my 2 cents worth :) Use just like P ostreatus though they are left
to mature longer, torn to shreds and fried up in a little olive oil with salt,
pepper and some poppy seeds till golden brown on the edges. At this stage they
have a texture and some elements of the flavour of chicken cooked in the same
way, our closest yet to vegetarian chicken. A Delicious snack.
Lions mane
Lions mane (Hericium erinaceus) This mushroom is also known as the lobster
mushroom, some say for its ability to taste like lobster. I disagree as in my
experience is has the texture of lobster. Its taste is mild, slightly
bitter with age so it is best picked when just mature as the icicles elongate
or younger still. It has the same slightly chewy and stringy but tender consistency
of some crayfish. Working with this texture can be fun as it gives the palate
the sensation of chewing on something like chicken meat or crayfish rather than
the usual slippery mushroom. We slice up younger firmer specimens or tear mature
mushrooms into bite size pieces and fry until golden on the edges. It helps
to do this to firm up a mushroom that is mostly water. This mushroom goes well
in a mix of mushrooms especially shiitake and shimeji, the mix of flavours and
textures is quite appealing. This can be served on its own but to bulk it up
we add Broccoli, snowpeas or some other al dente vegetable to the mix. Additional
flavour is nice from any asian sauce, just a touch, or perhaps at the end some
cashews nuts. There are sure to be many other ways to cook the lions mane mushroom
that enhance its unique characteristics.
Almond mushrooms
We first discovered Almond mushroom (Agaricus subrufescens) by accident
while hunting other Agaricus species. They are quite large and meaty
and on inhaling you are left with the smell of almonds, like sweet marzipan
(ed- but not always, some strains lack this in part or fully).
Now generally the smell of almonds means something highly suspect in being poisonous.
On the chemical level the substance of the Almond aroma is often conjugated
with a nasty toxin, cyanide, as in bitter almonds. However some things can be
over generalised and this is the case with the almond mushroom which is more
than safe to eat, that is, its is probably good for your immune system as it
lies within a constellation of related species in the subtropical regaions of
the world that includes the famous medicinal mushroom Agaricus blazei,
and Agaricus brasiliensis. Also related are the mush sought after Agaricus
augustus, named "the Prince" and deserving of its esteem. This group is
not in the same section of Agaricus as both of the "shop" agaricus and as allergies
seem to run within sections rather than across it means if you can't eat shop
agaricus then you may still be able to eat these. As with any new mushroom try
only a bit the first time, and even when seasoned dont overdo it (see allergies
write-up). Several in this group have the Almond flavour but A subrufescens
is amongst the strongest. However we did once collect in a Field specimens of
all ages entirely lacking the almond aroma, cloning failed but we still have
spores to work from. As a result of its strong flavour it pays not to add too
much to a dish. We like them fried up with parsley and butter on toast, or with
chicken. The first time you eat them try to remind your brain and stomach to
over ride the anxiety and take time to contemplate the texture and delicacy
of the flavours, if successful you will probably then be hooked then on as any
marzipan addict can tell you.
Wood Ears or The Black fungus
Wood Ears (Auricularia sp.) are more noted for their texture and medicinal
qualities than for a unique flavour, these easy to grow marvels are fun to watch
as they swell up with rain and grow then dry to a crisp the next day, only to
swell up again with the next shower. They have a gelatinous crunchy texture
and are good in stir fries as short strips. Cut with a sharp knife or kitchen
scissors. The Culinary niche they fill can be described as like that of sliced
seaweed but when the seaweed flavour is not required. It makes a Visually and
texturally appealing contrast to other ingredients. To use shop mushrooms just
soak in water a short time and they swell up just like the ones in the garden.
The Wood ear group is a constellation of species that are hard to tell apart,
There are several types you will find in the shops, white and black as well
as the native varieties you will find in moist rainforest gullies on fallen
logs.
King stropharia
For the King Stropharia (Stropharia rugosoannulata) its hard to maintain
some glamour when you stand in the shadows of the culinary greats like Shiitake
and the King oyster, or compete with the exotic textures and flavours of Lions
mane and Agaricus. It is true the Stropharia really is the mushroom next door,
plain but available in quantity. You could place it as the Zuchini of the mushroom
world, tender and delicate when young, tough and inedible albeit impressive
when fully mature. In the garden ecosystem it may be the workhorse par excellence
but in the kitchen it is usually an additive to other dishes. In Eastern europe
where it is grown commercially and consumed locally it is often included in
pickles and other regional foodstuffs. Grow it in deep beds of mulch and amongst
the vegetables so it reaches a large size and pick it before the cap fully expands
or younger when its still a cherry red colour. In "Growing gourmet and medicinal
mushrooms", Paul stamets recommends slicing the large immature mushrooms and
basting with teriyaki sauce before barbecueing. This sounds like a perfectly
reasonable way to make the best of this mushroom. He also warns against overindulgence,
but then who eats a bucket of Zuchinis either.
Enoki
Pioppinno
Paddy straw
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