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Pheasant Back Frittata

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Pheasant Back or Dryad Saddle Mushroom FrittataI love a good frittata, and I use to rely on them for brunch dishes when I wasn’t feeling creative. This frittata I made to use up a nice haul of pheasant back / dryad saddle mushrooms one year, inspired by an herby, slightly spicy omelet I saw French Chef Pierre Gagnierre make.

Pheasant back mushrooms aren’t your average mushroom (for many reasons I cover on my larger post on pheasant backs). Long story short, some people don’t care for their cucumber/farinaceous odor and flavor.

The unique flavor of the mushrooms mellows with cooking, but it will still be there a bit, and, instead of hinderance, I think it’s fun to see how you can twist the flavors of traditional dishes incorporating mushrooms to better compliment their natural flavor. 

Pheasant back or dryad saddle mushroom Cerioporus squamosus

Some nice young pheasant back mushrooms.

Basically what I’ve done here is take pheasant back mushrooms and combine them with a few Asian flavors to make a simple mushroom frittata. Instead of the cream and cheese you’d typically find in Western mushroom dishes using the same ingredients, this one focuses on strong aromas and flavors instead.

It’s a great way to use the tender edges of pheasant backs. It’s rich and heavy on the mushrooms, as well as aromatic herbs like mint. There’s a splash of fish sauce for umami, and a nice pinch of hot chili / crushed red pepper gives it a little warmth that brings everything together. Serve it with some wilted greens (wilted young spring sochan pictured) for a nice breakfast or brunch. 

Pheasant Back or Dryad Saddle Mushroom Frittata

foraged Pheasant Back or Dryad Saddle Mushroom Frittata
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Pheasant Back Mushroom Frittata

A rich, mushroomy frittata with lots of herbs, a little hot chili, and pheasant back mushrooms.
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time15 mins
Course: Appetizer, Breakfast, Brunch
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Dryad Saddle, Pheasant Back
Servings: 4

Ingredients

Egg base

  • 1 lb dryad saddle tender edges
  • Cooking oil, as needed, about 1.5 tablespoons
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 large clove garlic minced
  • 10 gram piece of ginger, peeled and minced
  • 2 tablespoons chicken stock or water
  • 3 large eggs

Seasonings

  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce
  • Crushed red pepper flakes ½ teaspoon or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon finely ground wild Szechuan peppercorns Optional. Use a pinch of these if you use commercial Szechuan peppercorns as the flavor is stronger.
  • ½ cup finely chopped wild onion greens scallions, or green garlic
  • 1/2 bunch cilantro coarsley chopped
  • 2 tablespoons wild mint or fresh spearmint sliced
  • 1 tablespoon good tasting oil, for garnishing Such as extra virgin olive oil, sesame oil can work too with the flavors here.
  • Zest of 1/2 a small lemon

Instructions

  • Preheat an oven to 325F.
  • Slice the dryad saddle ¼ inch thick, then pulse in a food processor. Scrape the mushroom pulp into a 10 inch saute pan, add half the cooking oil, garlic, ginger and salt, turn the heat to medium high and sweat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is nearly dry, about 5-10 minutes.
  • Transfer the mushrooms to a bowl to cool, then stir in the seasonings.
  • Taste a bite-sized piece of the mixture to test the seasoning for herbiness, salt, and spiciness, adjust and repeat the process until you’re pleased.
  • Beat in the eggs and stock until well combined.
  • Heat the remaining oil in an 8 inch cast iron skillet or similar pan until hot, making sure it's evenly distributed around the pan so the eggs don't stick, then add the mushroom-egg mixture and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes until the bottom looks set, but the top is still a bit liquid.
  • Transfer the pan to the oven and cook for 5 minutes more, or until just set.
  • Allow to cool for a few minutes before slicing into wedges. Serve with freshly cooked greens, a drizzle of good tasting oil, and a wedge of lemon.

More 

Dryad’s Saddle or Pheasant Back Mushroom

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Alan Bergo
I made vegan fish sauce from ramp juice. You tak I made vegan fish sauce from ramp juice. 

You take the pure juice of the leaves, mix it with salt, Koji rice, and more chopped fresh ramp leaves, then ferment it for a bit. 

After the fermentation you put it into a dehydrator and cook it at 145-150 F for 30 days. 

The slow heat causes a Maillard/browning reaction over time. 

After 30 days you strain the liquid and bottle it. It’s the closest thing to plant-based fish sauce I’ve had yet. 

The potency of ramps is a pretty darn good approximation of the glutamates in meat. But you could prob make something similar with combinations of other alliums. 

The taste is crazy. I get toasted ramp, followed by mellow notes from the fermentation. Potent and delicate at the same time. 

I’ve been using it to make simple Japanese-style dipping sauces for tempura etc. 

Pics: 
2: Ramp juice 
3: Juicy leaf pulp 
4: Squeezing excess juice from the pulp
5: After 5 days at 145F 
6: After 30 days 
7: Straining through Muslin to finish

#ramps #veganfishsauce #experimentalfood #kojibuildscommunity #fermentation #foraging
Oeufs de Gaulle is a classic morel recipe Jacques Oeufs de Gaulle is a classic morel recipe Jacques Pepin used to make for French president Charles de Gaulle. 

You bake eggs in a ramekin with shrimp topped with creamy morel sauce and eat with toast points. 

Makes for a really special brunch or breakfast. Recipe’s on my site, but it’s even better to watch Jacques make it on you tube. 

#jacquespepin #morels #shrimp #morilles #brunchtime
Morels: the only wild mushroom I count by the each Morels: the only wild mushroom I count by the each instead of the pound. 

Good day today, although my Twin Cities spots seem a full two weeks behind from the late spring. 2 hours south they were almost all mature. 

76 for me and 152 for the group. Check your spots, and good luck! 

#morels #murkels #mollymoochers #drylandfish #spongemushroom #theprecious
The first time I’ve seen fungal guttation-a natu The first time I’ve seen fungal guttation-a natural secretion of water I typically see with plants. 

I understand it as an indicator that the mushrooms are growing rapidly, and a byproduct of their metabolism speeding up. If you have some clarifications, chime in. 

Most people know it from Hydnellum 
peckii-another polypore. I’ve never seen it on pheasant backs before.

Morels are coming soon too. Mine were 1 inch tall yesterday in the Twin Cities. 

#guttation #mushroomhunting #cerioporussquamosus #pheasantback #naturesbeauty
Rain and heat turned the flood plain forest into a Rain and heat turned the flood plain forest into a grocery store. 

#groceryshopping #sochan #rudbeckialaciniata #foraging
Italian wild food traditions are some of my favori Italian wild food traditions are some of my favorite. 

Case in point: preboggion, a mixture of wild plants, that, depending on the reference, should be made with 5-23 individual plants. 

Here’s a few mixtures I’ve made this spring, along with a reference from the Oxford companion to Italian food. 

The mixture should include some bitter greens (typically assorted asters) but the most important plant is probably borage. 

Making your own version is a good excercise. Here they’re wilted with garlic and oil, but there’s a bunch of traditional recipes the mixture is used in. 

Can you believe this got cut from my book?!

#preboggion #preboggiun #foraging #traditionalfoods
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