Hen of the Woods

My first trip to Craft, almost four years ago now, came as part of a long and blissful lunch back in the boom of the advertising expense account days.  It will always have a place in mind thanks to my first experience to hen of the woods mushrooms.  More specifically, the mushrooms came roasted in a small pan.  The natural juices and probably olive oil were at the bottom of the pan, but what struck me most was the broiled and crispy texture of the layered leaves of the mushroom.  Their flavor is deep and lingering, but to me that was always enhanced by the roasting process.   I usually make these now at home and had them for the first time in a while last night (best sources are Fairway and Garden of Eden).  But rather than roast them, I broil them for a few minutes on each side after smothering them with olive oil, salt and pepper.  They are best served warm and toasty from the oven. 

Comments

[LlamaSpank]

Have you ever tried Lion's Mane mushrooms? They look, well, fuzzy, like the name. They're firm and have an interesting, meaty flavor. I like to just slice them, season with salt, and saute in butter. I get them locally (in Colorado) but I've seen them at some larger markets as well, and I figure NYC likely has them too. I definitely recommend them!