I will never forget the first Chicken I harvested.
It was one of those moments when both passion and awe collide, and you have to pinch yourself to make sure it's real life.
Just up over a hill, right out of vision from the trail, lying on a slope was a decaying log. As we approached, the telltale spots of yellow and orange began to reveal themselves. There it was. Fresh, young Chicken of the Woods.
To a newer forager, Laetiporus sulphureus honestly doesn't even look like a mushroom. Or it at least looks nothing like the kinds of mushrooms you'd find at your neighborhood supermarket.
There aren't gills, and it's not growing out of the ground. Hell, Laetiporus grows in fronds and overlapping shelves and brackets. They're bright orange and yellow and coral and white. It may as well be a space mutant to someone who's never seen a wild mushroom.
And yet, here I am, bringing awareness to one of my favorite gourmets that have been abundant during this time of year, late summer through early fall.
As you can see in most of these photos, Chicken of the Woods lacks a stem/stipe and attaches directly to wood. Laetiporus species are partial to old-growth oaks and other hardwoods like cherry.
Chicken of the Woods will start out plump and nubby, and then mature to thinner and harder and wider fronds. Their fertile surface area is finely pored.
But also, these guys are utterly delicious. Like so good. I feel so basic sometimes in my affinity for COW, because I affectionately call it a great entry point into wild mushrooms. It's become a sort of comfort food. Honestly, Chicken of the Woods, when cooked, looks, tastes, and has the texture of, yes, real chicken.
The first time I tried Chicken of the Woods, I was blown away. Shocked. I couldn't believe how delicious and how chicken-like it actually was.
We both have our favorite ways of preparing this delicacy. Eve prefers plain sautéed with salt and pepper, or featured in a risotto. My very favorite preparation is chicken-fried. Yeah, yeah, it's fried. And also, they freeze well and reheat amazingly in the air fryer. You can make nuggets or patties and use anywhere you'd use a chicken tender. As nuggz (my daughter's favorite), COW parm, COW cordon bleu, buffalo COW...the list goes on.
If you've tried Chicken of the Woods, what's your favorite preparation?
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