What can I say, they just spoke to me. Called out to me from their farmers market table…”Annie…take me home! You know you want to!” So what could I do?
I beelined to the table and the very Italian-sounding man standing behind it. There they were – the mushrooms. Boxes of hen-of-the-woods (maitake), and right next to them, the ones that drew me in…the ones I’d never seen before. They looked a bit like lobster mushrooms, so named for their appearance (similar to lobster meat), but flatter and with a lighter color.
Me: “What are these kind?”
Italian farmer man: “These are the chicken mushrooms! They’re just like chicken!”
Me: “Wow! They look heartier than the hen-of-the-woods…so do they hold their texture more when cooked?”
Italian farmer man: “Oh yes, oh yes…definitely.”
Me: “So how should I cook them?”
IFM: “Eh, a little oil, a little salt, a bit of cream…that’s all you need! But NO GARLIC – it’s too strong, overpowers the mushroom flavor.”
I don’t know why I decided to dialogue that for you, but that’s how it went. I was intrigued by chicken-tasting mushrooms, so I nabbed them and decided I’d cook them more or less exactly as recommended. When an Italian farmer man tells you how to cook something, you listen! I picked up a few more wild mushrooms at the grocery store to along with some heavy cream, and later set out to make my dinner.
I have to say, it was kind of crazy how much these mushrooms reminded me of chicken. The raw and cooked appearance, the texture, and yes, the taste. The taste was actually pretty mild, but especially when paired with the texture and appearance I think these would definitely fool someone into thinking they were really eating chicken. Frankly I’m shocked that they’re not a more common substitute among vegetarians and vegans. Maybe it’s because they’re not widely available – as I said, I’d never seen them before – but I hope I find them again soon to experiment with some more! Fried chicken mushrooms, anyone?
Mushroom Ragout
This recipe will work with any mushrooms you like, if you can’t find chicken mushrooms – but I do recommend splurging on a nice mix of wild mushrooms and not (just) the white button mushrooms at the store. I also think rosemary or thyme and garlic would be a nice addition in the future, but this time I was going for pure, unadulterated mushroom goodness.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil divided
- 8 oz chicken mushrooms
- 4 oz mixed wild mushrooms I used oyster, shiitake, cremini
- 1/4 small onion or 1 small shallot finely chopped
- 2 tbsp cognac can sub brandy or whiskey
- 2 tsbp white balsamic vinegar
- 3/4 c chicken broth can sub vegetable to make vegetarian
- 1/2 c heavy cream
- salt to taste
Instructions
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Start by gently cleaning your mushrooms - I never rinse under water, just take a slightly damp paper towel and wipe off any visible dirt.
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If you have chicken mushrooms, lucky you! Slice into long 1/2" strips one way then the other to get 1/2" size chunks of mushrooms. I wanted to taste the texture so I kept the pieces fairly large.
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Chop your remaining mushrooms into a slightly smaller size.
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Finely chop 1/4 of a small onion or a small shallot (doesn't need to be minced, but you don't want big chunks of onion in the ragout). Heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat in a 12" skillet (ideally not nonstick - you want some fond to develop on the bottom of the pan for flavor) and add the onions, allowing to soften for 2-3 minutes.
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Add the chicken mushrooms and use a wooden spoon to coat them in oil, then let them sit without stirring. The oil will be absorbed and the pan will be dry, but don't worry. Cook for about 8 minutes, allowing them to develop some browning.
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Add the additional 1 tbsp of oil and the remaining mushrooms, stirring again to coat. Cook for an additional 5 minutes until the pan is completely dry and the additional mushrooms have wilted and reduced in size.
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Add the cognac and white balsamic vinegar and toss with the mushrooms - be careful not to inhale near the pan right after adding! It should only take about a minute for the alcohol to evaporate.
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Add the chicken broth and heavy cream, turn down to medium-low and cover, cooking for 10 minutes. Feel free to open it up and stir once or twice to make sure all the mushrooms have their turn simmering.
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Remove the cover and taste the ragout - adding salt as necessary. I don't recommend salting until this point, as it will inhibit browning of the mushrooms in the initial stage and the chicken or vegetable broth is often very salty.
Recipe Notes
Serve the ragout with pasta (as I did - egg noodles) or on top of crusty bread with a nice glass of wine. Enjoy!
Kristen says
They do look exactly like chicken, you’re right. I’ve not seen those before either but will look at Whole Foods. Do they have a mushroomy flavor or so mild you just taste the sauce?
Annie says
For these, I think it’s all about the texture. They do taste like mushrooms, but don’t have a very strong mushroom flavor – think along the lines of a raw buttom mushroom (because when you cook these down, they don’t soften/lose their shape as much as other types). Hint of chicken, hint of mushroom is how I’d describe the flavor! 🙂