Chicken Of The Woods

 

The common name comes from the texture rather than the flavour. When cooked, the younger portions develop a firmness and fibrous pull that is genuinely reminiscent of cooked chicken breast. The flavour itself is mild, savoury, and faintly sulphurous — closer to a neutral white mushroom than to poultry — which is what makes it so adaptable. It absorbs marinades, sauces, and seasonings readily.

This is one of very few fungi that can convincingly stand in for meat in a dish, not as a compromise but because the texture holds up in ways that other mushrooms cannot. It must always be cooked — never eaten raw.

Note: a small number of people experience mild gastrointestinal discomfort or a temporary lip-numbing sensation after eating chicken of the woods, particularly specimens harvested from conifer or yew hosts. If trying for the first time, eat a small portion initially.

 

Origin: United Kingdom (wild foraged)

Ingredients: Chicken of the woods mushroom (Laetiporus sulphureus).