Yield: 1 serving per 4 ounces mushrooms 

4-oz pieces of hen of the woods (Grifola frondosa) mushrooms, broken into large clusters
Kosher salt
Cooking oil as needed, about ¼ cup

Clean the hens by swishing them in cool water, gently peering inside the caps to make sure they are cleaned, trimming with a paring knife as needed, then allowing to drain on paper towels.

Heat the oil in a pan or on a griddle until hot, but not smoking. Add the mushroom clump and season with salt, placing a weight—like a rock, log, crumbly wood or cinder block wrapped in foil or a pan—on top, then cook until the underside is deeply caramelized, then flip and repeat.

If the pan gets dry, add a little more oil. When both sides of the mushrooms are deeply
caramelized and browned, serve immediately, with extra finishing salt on the side.

Hen of the Woods Steaks recipe from Alan Bergo.

More Mushroom Delights

Wild mushrooms are a culinary delight, but beginning foragers should harvest with caution. The forager’s rule of thumb is to be 100 percent sure of an identification 100 percent of the time given that toxic lookalikes can exist. It’s also important to try a small amount of a mushroom the first time around, as some individuals can respond adversely to a particular species despite its general edibility.

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