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Award-winning chef, author and forager Alan Bergo. Food is all around you.

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Lobster Mushroom-Entoloma Manhattan Clam Chowder

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recipe for lobster and entoloma mushroom manhattan clam chowderLobster mushrooms are a joy to work with in the kitchen. I have cooked many varieties of mushrooms, and have plenty of favorites, but there’s just something awesome about lobsters. They have what you could describe as a “mushroomy” flavor, but there is something more, something oceanic, it’s subtle, but it’s there. Their texture sets them apart as well. Where boletes and many other species may get a bit “slippery” when cooked (a texture people often blame for their dislike of mushrooms) Lobsters retain a pleasant crunchiness, a toothy bite; even when fully cooked. Truly amazing is the thin red coloring on the outside of the mushrooms, a by product of it’s being infected by another fungus.

The red coating is a natural food coloring, and acts mildly like saffron. The fishy quality of the lobster mushroom is concentrated in this red coating, and I have done very interesting culinary experiments with it, which I will delve into another time.

These characteristics truly set the lobster mushroom apart from others in the kitchen. Their unique flavor also gives us clues as to how they should be treated.

With a mushroom that tastes pleasantly of shellfish, you can cook it as such. This lobster mushroom recipe in particular is a textbook example of how you can be playful with the texture and flavor of wild mushrooms, incorporating them into tried and true dishes, and in doing so create new ones.

I include clams in the name of this soup, but it’s actually vegetarian if you omit the bacon. I had no clams at the time, but I did have about 50lbs of lobster mushrooms burning a hole in my coolers.

recipe for lobster and entoloma mushroom manhattan clam chowder

Moving on to the chowder, Everyone has an idea of what a clam chowder is. When I think of it I envision a slightly briny, creamy base, that probably includes celery and onion as aromatics, preferably without carrots.

Carrots would add a root vegetable’s sweetness to this, corn is a more appropriate vegetable in my opinion, and evokes summer. I imagine potatoes too floating around in there, heightening the creamy texture and adding body to the soup.

If the soup is heated for extended periods of time, the potatoes will start to break down and thicken it as well, which could be good or bad, depending on whatever creative style you are going for.

There is another sort of clam chowder that exists too though, and although it is well known, I’ll touch on it briefly just in case you may not be aware. The other type is known as Manhattan clam chowder. As it’s name implies, it originated in New York.

A Manhattan clam chowder differs from a typical white clam chowder in that it is broth based, without being thickened by a flour liaison, like roux often used in white chowders. A Manhattan chowder also includes tomato, and typically sweet peppers of some sort, from my experience. It is a great alternative to it’s heavier, white cousin, and is a great thing to make in warmer weather, when thick soups sound unappealing, and can make you feel heavy.

recipe for lobster and entoloma mushroom manhattan clam chowder

Entolomas closeup

Alongside the losbsters here are the Aborted entolomas. These mushrooms are not the equal of lobsters culinary wise in my opinion, but as I have mentioned before they have a texture reminiscent of cooked shrimp.

So, even though they don’t possess the slight shellfish quality of the lobsters, I include them here to reinforce the “fish mushroom” theme. It works out great, and adds another fun textural component alongside the lobsters.

recipe for lobster and entoloma mushroom manhattan clam chowder

recipe for lobster and entoloma mushroom manhattan clam chowder
Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Lobster-Entoloma Mushroom Manhattan Clam Chowder

Yield: About 2 quarts enough two serve 4 people for dinner, maybe with salad on the side.
Prep Time30 mins
Cook Time30 mins
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Aborted Entoloma, Lobster Mushroom, Manhattan Chowder
Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 2 cups sliced lobster mushrooms about 2 oz
  • 1.5 cups aborted entoloma mushrooms halved if large, left whole if small
  • 2 quarts chicken or vegetable broth you could use water in a pinch
  • 4 oz bacon diced. (lightly freeze bacon to make it easier to cut)
  • 2 cups peeled russet potato diced 1/2 inch
  • 1 cup tomato sauce you could use canned, or just puree some fresh
  • 1 cup fresh sweet corn
  • 1/2 cup celery diced 1/4 inch
  • 1 cup onion diced 1/4 inch
  • 2 large red sweet peppers seeds removed and diced 1/2 inch
  • 4 small cloves of garlic thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup white wine
  • Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes or dashes of your favorite hot sauce
  • Kosher salt
  • Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro or oregano
  • Extra virgin olive or suflower oil for garnishing optional

Instructions

  • Clean the mushrooms, if they are dirty enough to warrant washing in water, allow them to air dry on some towels for 30 minutes or so.
  • In a sauce pot with high sides, or a pasta pot, slowly render the bacon until it is crisp and has released it's fat. Remove 1/2 of the bacon fat, leaving the rest in the pan to cook the mushrooms. Increase the heat to high and add the mushrooms, stirring occasionally, until they have released their juice and have taken on some color, about 5 minutes. If your mushrooms were wet, this will take longer.
  • Season the mushrooms with 1/2 tsp of salt, then add the garlic and chilli flakes and cook for 2 minutes. Next add the celery, onion, and peppers and cook until they have softened, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and cook until it has evaporated.
  • Next add the potatoes, corn, chicken or vegetable stock and the tomato sauce, bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce the heat and cook for 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
  • Season the soup with salt to taste, it should also be a tiny bit spicy, so add another dash of hot sauce if it needs it. If you made the soup with water, check the seasoning a second time. Finally add the fresh cilantro and serve. Garnishing with a bit of fruity olive oil, and serve with crusty bread and a green salad.

More Lobster Mushrooms 

 

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sam Schaperow

    February 28, 2014 at 2:54 pm

    I bet this is delicious! The cooking method, I suspect, would not retain the seafood flavor of lobsters. I did recently learn they may retain it better w/minimal cooking. Keeping away from water might help, too, I wonder.

    Reply
  2. Kurt

    December 9, 2015 at 7:48 pm

    using this quote from you here –> “The red coating is a natural food coloring, and acts mildly like saffron.”
    I have found out that the intense yellow colour of the oil from the frying of lobster mushrooms will turn the whites of eggs purple to red. It does not make much difference in flavour, but is a cool visual effect.

    Reply
  3. Lisa

    November 4, 2019 at 7:14 pm

    5 stars
    Absolutely delicious. Had only aborted Entolomas to use, so they filled in for the lobster mushrooms too. Had to print this one and add it to the files— definitely a keeper! One little modification— I added a 1/2 T of fish sauce.

    Reply

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FORAGER | CHEF®
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Alan Bergo
HALP! I’ve been keeping an eye on two loaded mul HALP! I’ve been keeping an eye on two loaded mulberry trees and both got a bunch of fruit knocked down by the storms and wind. 

If anyone in West WI or around the Twin Cities knows of some trees, (ideally on private property but beggars can’t be choosers) that I could climb and shake with a tarp underneath, shoot me a DM and let’s pick some! 🤙😄

TIA

#throwadogabone #mansquirrel #beattlefruit #mulberries #shakintrees
Lampascioni, or edible hyacinth bulbs are one of t Lampascioni, or edible hyacinth bulbs are one of the more interesting things I’ve eaten. 

These are an ancient wild food traditionally harvested in Southern Italy, especially in Puglia and the Salentine Peninsula, as well as Greece and Crete. I’ve seen at least 6-7 different names for them. 

A couple different species are eaten, but Leopoldia comosa is probably the one I see mentioned the most. They also grow wild in North America. 

The bulbs are toxic raw, but edible after an extended boil. Traditionally they’re preserved in vinegar and oil, pickled, or preserves in other methods using acid and served as antipasti. (Two versions in pic 3). 

They’re one of the most heavily documented traditional wild foods I’ve seen. There’s a few shots of book excerpts here.

The Oxford companion to Italian Food says you can eat them raw-don’t do that. 

Even after pickling, the bulbs are aggressively extremely bitter. Definitely an acquired taste, but one that’s grown on me. 

#traditionalfoods #vampagioli #lampascione #cucinapovera #lampascioni #leopoldiacomosa #foraging
Went to some new spots yesterday looking for poke Went to some new spots yesterday looking for poke sallet and didn’t do too well (I’m at the tip of its range). I did see some feral horseradish though which I don’t see very often. 

Just like wild parsnip, this is the exact same plant you see in the store and garden-just escaped. 

During the growing season the leaves can be good when young. 

They have an aggressive taste bitter enough to scare your loved ones. Excellent in a blend of greens cooked until extra soft, preferably with bacon or similar. 

For reference, you don’t harvest the root while the plant is growing as they’ll be soft and unappealing-do that in the spring or fall. This is essentially the same as when people tell you to harvest in months that have an R in them. 

#amoraciarusticana #foraging #horseradishleaves #horseradish #bittergreens
In Italy chicken of the woods is known as “fungo In Italy chicken of the woods is known as “fungo del carrubo” (carob tree mushroom) as it’s one of the common tree hosts there. 

My favorite, and really the only traditional recipe I’ve found for them so far is simmered in a spicy tomato sauce with hot chile and capers, served with grilled bread. 

Here I add herbs too: fresh leaves of bee balm that are perfect for harvesting right now and have a flavor similar to oregano and thyme. 

Makes a really good side dish or app, especially if you shower it with a handful of pecorino before scooping it up with the bread. 

#chickenofthewoods #fungodelcarrubo #allthemushroomtags #traditionalfoods #beebalm
First of the year 😁. White-pored chicken of t First of the year 😁. 

White-pored chicken of the woods (Laetiporus cincinnatus) are my favorite chicken. 

Superior bug resistance, slightly better flavor + texture. They also stay tender longer compared to their more common yellow-pored cousins. Not a single bug in this guy. 

#treemeat #ifoundfood #foraging #laetiporuscincinnatus #chickenofthewoods
TBT brisket face 💦. Staff meal with @jesseroes TBT brisket face 💦. Staff meal with 
@jesseroesler and crew @campwandawega
📸 @misterberndt 

#staffmeal #brisket #meatsweats #naptime
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