In our region, I would wager that morels are by far the most popular and recognizable mushroom. And my wife Elaine and I relish gathering, preparing, and eating them. But if someone were to ask us what our favorite mushroom is, we would without hesitation answer chicken of the woods.
Although Laetiporus sulphureus can appear as early as May and as late as November, we have found June is the prime month to locate this species. It often grows on stumps, trunks, and downed trees, but the biggest chicken we found last year was growing over buried rotting wood. What’s more this fan-shaped fungi is easy to spot with its yellow to bright orange/red color and often huge size. A specimen growing next to our driveway last June weighed about five pounds.
As for its name, chicken of the woods truly tastes, well, like chicken. We enjoy it as a vegetarian chicken salad, toppings on meat entrees and in salads and various egg dishes. As always with all thing fungi, never eat a mushroom the first time you gather it until an expert has positively identified it. Also, raw, wild mushrooms should never be consumed.
Bruce and Elaine Ingram will profile a different wild edible every month. For more information on their book Living the Locavore Lifestyle, contact them at bruceingramoutdoors@gmail.com
