My wife and I were walking the dogs when we came across this monster wild mushroom. Having found these many times before I was immediately sure what it was - a Chicken of the Woods. And a big one!
This single mushroom weighed in at 9 pounds! Now that is a nice find, but this particular mushroom is often found in huge patches that can weigh over 100 pounds or more in total. But I was more than happy with this find.
I cut it into a number of large chunks, cut out the pithy core/stem, and gave it a good rinsing.
After letting it dry overnight I then cut it into fairly big chunks and put it into freezer bags. This one mushroom will provide mushroom for many many future meals.
Of course I didn't freeze it all. I saved out enough to make a meal of some sauteed potato, onion, and mushroom.
1 Small Potato
1/2 medium onion
1 1/2 cups wild mushrooms
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
Cut the potato, onion and mushrooms into bit sized pieces. Melt the butter in a skillet under medium heat. Once the butter is melted, add in the potato, onion, and mushrooms. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Stir briefly and then cover with a lid and let simmer on medium low heat until all ingredients are tender. Remove the lid and increase the heat to medium high to brown the potatoes, turning over occasionally. Cover with shredded cheese for the last few minutes then serve.
So good!