Garlic

Sautéed hen of the woods and king trumpet mushrooms with garlic and fresh thyme

by:
April 14, 2011
5
1 Ratings
Sautéed hen of the woods and king trumpet mushrooms with garlic and fresh thyme
  • Serves Adaptable
Author Notes

These sauteed mushrooms are part of my Thanksgiving menu. I used to make a chanterelle mushroom stuffing from a great recipe Alice Waters published in the NY Times in 1999, then one year I had hen of the woods mushrooms at Hearth in the East Village. They were a revelation. It was a few weeks before Thanksgiving and I became fixated on making these mushrooms, which meant changing (and thereby re-inventing) the turkey stuffing to avoid a mushroom-heavy menu. I don't really want to admit that these simple mushrooms are the star of the somewhat elaborate Thanksgiving meal - but I think they are.

That first year I couldn't find a sufficient amount of hen of the woods, so I added king trumpet mushrooms. They became part of this dish, and of the Thanksgiving tradition. —nettleandquince

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • King trumpet (or king oyster) mushrooms (Pleurotus eryngii)
  • Hen of the woods (or maitake) mushrooms (Grifola frondosa)
  • Olive oil
  • Garlic
  • Fresh thyme
  • Flaky sea salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
  1. Carefully wipe dirt from king trumpet mushrooms, if necessary.
  2. Cut off stub and thinly slice mushrooms lengthwise (the result are beautiful cross sections).
  3. In a large skillet, heat enough olive oil to cover the surface. Thinly slice garlic, cook in olive oil until just golden, remove immediately and set aside.
  4. Add the mushrooms - just enough so they don't overlap in the pan, working in batches as necessary - season with sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, and sprinkle with thyme. Sautée until the mushrooms become golden-brown on one side, turn them over, and cook another minute or two until soft but with a bit of bite.
  5. To serve, sprinkle with a little more thyme and the pieces of crispy garlic.
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4 Reviews

JAH
JAH October 11, 2015
A neighbor presented me with a bag of these freshly picked from she won't tell me. Happy to find your recipe. How delicious they are.
 
checker
checker April 21, 2011
I have just joined the The Mycological Association of Washington (DC) and I am looking forward to having someone “officially” instruct me on mushrooms. Last fall there was an old Oak tree on the grounds of the National Cathedral, across from our little apartment, and I was sure the base was covered in ‘Hen of the Woods’ mushrooms. I didn’t try them, for fear of the worst. So once I know for sure, this is a recipe that is sure to go into my rotation.
 
nettleandquince
nettleandquince April 21, 2011
Thank you. Your personal supply of hen of the woods on the grounds of the Cathedral - that would be nice!
 
Sagegreen
Sagegreen April 18, 2011
Love the choices.