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

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Deer Mushrooms: Pluteus Cervinus and Pestatus

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The Fawn or Pluteus pestatus.

Pluteus pestatus, growing in a yard.

After the morels have come and gone in Minnesota, there’s a bit of a variety season and deer mushrooms, also known as the fawn, is one of the first you might see. They’re graceful mushrooms that loves to pop up here and there in yards, open spaces, and in the woods on logs, depending on the exact species. Oddly enough, the name deer mushroom is pretty accurate, as I do see deer occasionally eating these mushrooms, as well as squirrels. 

Megacollybia rodmani the Platterful mushroom (2)

Pluteus cervinus. Note that the cap is more brown, and there’s no pink hue to the gills. 

For the purposes of this post, I’m grouping the two I refer to as deer mushrooms together: Pluteus pestatus, which I usually see in yards, and Pluteus cervinus, that I typically see in woods growing from dead logs. I don’t usually see these in huge fruitings, more or less there will be one or two here, then a couple there. They’re relatively easy to identify with a basic knowledge of mushroom I.D. techniques, and are worth collecting once in a while if there is nothing else, although there’s definitely better wild mushrooms out there to harvest. 

The Fawn or Pluteus Cervinus

Identification

  • The fawn mushroom has a tell tale “nipple” on its cap, called being umbonate.
  • Very young mushrooms may have a totally brown cap.
  • These are decent sized mushrooms, I usually pick ones that have caps at least 4 inches in diameter.
  • As the mushroom grows older, it’s cap might flip up like an umbrella as it shoots its spores and matures.
  • The cap may develop little cuts or slices in it as it grows, almost looking like someone sliced it with a knife, or cut small chunks from it.
  • The gills of the mushroom have a sort of pinkish red tint to them.
  • Notice in the picture below that the gills also do not touch the stem.
  • These always grow directly from wood, but remember to check the ground for signs of former trees, since mushrooms can grow from buried wood too.
  • There will never be a “sac” or anything at the base of its stem resembling an egg, also the stem is totally bare and clean, with no evidence of any kind of ring or other decorations.
  • The cap is composed mostly of gills that are packed tightly together, it’s thick, bushy, and brittle.
  • Pluteus pestatus and cervinus have a pink-ish spore print. If you have a white spore print, you should compare your mushrooms with Megacollybia rodmanii.
  • Some Pluteus should probably not be eaten-If your stems bruise blue, discard them.
The Fawn or Pluteus Cervinus

Note the thick, pinkish gills of this Pluteus pestatus. These I see most often in yards. 

Look A Likes 

There’s a few look a likes for deer mushrooms, but, thankfully they’re easy to separate from the baddies, and, personally, I find the mushroom most often called a “look a like” for these a bit of a stretch, but mushrooms can be confusing, especially if it’s your first time. 

Galerina marginata 

Galerina marginata, also known as the funeral bell, is a lethally toxic mushroom that can also grow from wood. But, don’t be scared-they’re easy to separate from most mushrooms with a quick inspection. Here’s a quick list of the differences: 

Galerina

  • Has an orange-brown cap
  • Is smaller than most Pluteus 
  • Has a brown spore print 

Deadly galerina marginata, the funeral bell

Cooking

Pluteus are ok, but they’re delicate and brittle, so make sure you put them in a basket and keep them safe, otherwise you’ll wind up with mushroom crumbs when you get home. They have an interesting radish flavor and aroma, which can be more noticeable with some species than others.

If you smell the gills close up, you will notice a definite aroma of radishes. If you caramelize and brown them in a pan, this flavor leaves and they take on a taste that’s more mushroomy and earthy. If you stew them, without caramelizing, the radish flavor will remain. One of my favorite ways to cook them is sauteing the caps whole and tossing with garlic and parsley, as below. 

If, by some stroke of luck you find enough to preserve them for later use there’s plenty of options. Deer mushrooms can be sliced and dried easily, or even left whole, although, unlike most other mushrooms, the flavor doesn’t seem to really improve from drying. They have a mild flavor after re-hydrating that’s a decent addition to a stock or soup. Pickling them is always a fine option too, refer to my basic recipe for mushroom conserve.Deer mushrooms cooked with garlic and parsley

 

Deer mushrooms cooked with garlic and parsley
Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Deer Mushroom Caps with Garlic and Parsley

Sauteed deer/fawn mushroom caps with garlic and parsley-a simple side dish for wild mushroom caps.
Prep Time5 mins
Cook Time5 mins
Course: Appetizer, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: deer mushroom, Pluteus cervinus

Ingredients

  • 2-4 Large, clean pluteus caps
  • 1 Tablespoon cooking oil or butter, or a mix
  • 2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
  • 1 large clove garlic
  • Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
  • Lemon wedges, for serving optional

Instructions

  • Inspect the mushrooms and dust them of any grit, wood or debris.
  • Cut the stems from mushroom and slice them into 1/2 inch pieces.
  • In a saute pan, such as a 10 inch size, heat the oil or butter, then add the mushroom caps and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on both sides and the water has evaporated.
  • If the mushrooms soak up all the oil, add another drizzle to the pan now.
  • Season the mushrooms with salt, add the garlic and stir, cooking for a minute or two until the garlic is aromatic.
  • Turn the heat off. Add the parsley, stir to mix, then arrange the mushroom stems on top of the caps. Sprinkle with a little extra parsley and serve with a wedge of lemon.

Recipes

  • Wild Mushrooms With Garlic And Parsley
  • Wild Mushrooms With Breadcrumbs, Garlic, And Chili
  • Hedgehog Mushroom Conserve
  • Hedgehog Mushroom Duxelles
  • Bison-Black Barley Stew, With Wild Mushrooms

Related

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Next Post: Boyd’s 100 Dollar Morel Soup »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Dan Farmer

    September 20, 2013 at 6:17 pm

    Thanks for teaching me about these, Alan. I have since found several more. However, I do find that they are just about impossible to get home in less than 100 pieces; delicate little suckers that they are.

    Reply
    • Alan Bergo

      September 21, 2013 at 2:11 am

      The caps are very delicate, when stewed fresh they have a pleasant taste with a hint of spicy radish. I have a stump in the backyard these grow off of, like a natural garden. There are at least two different species I have seen in minnesota from this family (pluteus) and I have eaten and enjoyed both of them. I separate the caps from the stems when cooking.

      Reply
    • Geralyn_D

      May 13, 2019 at 9:12 am

      I love these mushrooms and go foraging prepared with my flat basket and sometimes if caught without it I simply field dress (gently press the center cap with fingers spread under it to dislodge the stem) and stack them if you are so fortunate as to find enough for a meal. I call these my bacon mushrooms and fry them CRISP in butter and season the gill side with poultry seasoning. use them where bacon is served, also as the shrimp component in green papaya salad, also chipped into rice stir fries. Mmmm… I have only tasted the radish flavor when raw and only for verifying mushroom type. I have never stewed these lovelies as I covet them for savory use and cannot get enough of them. This is a mushroom that may grow on you… always verify them (the lead in picture is a bit misleading) they do NOT grow from earth or grass UNLESS there is a root or log under it! Always see the wood substrate and then confirm the pinkish spores in the gill area.

      Reply
  2. Kathleen Rodgers

    August 13, 2019 at 5:38 pm

    We have been getting the pestasatis variety here courtesy of the power company.I have not tried this one and we will see how it cooks.

    Reply
  3. Kevin

    May 14, 2020 at 7:30 am

    Sorry to butt in here, but for the sake of avoiding (potentially dangerous!) confusion, the “free” gill type is NOT called adnate. Adnate means attached at the stipe. I doubt your readers will read this far into the comments section so perhaps you could edit that? Thank you for the information on edibility and cooking!

    Reply
    • Alan Bergo

      May 16, 2020 at 9:33 am

      Hey Kevin, yeah I don’t know how that mistake has survived in here, thanks for catching it.

      Reply
  4. Michael Norris

    October 24, 2020 at 4:33 am

    Do they grow in north america, and do they prefer deciduous or conifers or like both? does it have a mucous layer and are those markings always present on the cap? i found some similar in washington state. they were in a wooded area mostly maple and filbert there, tho heavily wooded with conifers in other parts of the area not far from where they were specifically. they were under ferns base seemingly in dirt but there easily could have been pieces of maple decomposing under the surface. any help is appreciated..

    Reply
    • Christina

      December 25, 2020 at 7:25 am

      5 stars
      I live in NE Texas. Found commonly here. https://www.mushroomexpert.com/pluteus_cervinus.html

      Reply
  5. Michael

    October 9, 2021 at 10:40 pm

    Just found my first mess these here in west central Missouri. Been hunting and eating verified edible wild mushrooms for around 20 years now, mostly morels but always ready to try something new especially when morel season is long gone. Found about6 nice sized fresh ones growing on a stack of unsplit firewood! Think I’ll try preparing with chopped bacon, fresh onion and a few garlic cloves. Happy hunting!!!

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. The Mushroom Diary - UK Wild Mushroom Hunting Blog | Fawny coloured Deer Shield says:
    August 15, 2015 at 4:18 am

    […] Edibility-wise there’s not much going for our lovely Deer Shield, but it still is edible (although it may not agree with some). The flesh is white, delicate and thin with a slight odour and taste similar to radish. I found a great blog tackling this culinary challenge, see here for a little advice on the subject: https://foragerchef.com/the-fawndeer-mushroom-pluteus-cervinus […]

    Reply
  2. #142: Pluteus cervinus, the Deer Mushroom – Fungus Fact Friday says:
    May 25, 2018 at 8:25 pm

    […] https://foragerchef.com/the-fawndeer-mushroom-pluteus-cervinus/ […]

    Reply
  3. Wild Mushroom Caps Cooked in Embers says:
    December 9, 2019 at 9:31 am

    […] some slightly easier candidates where I live like Megacollybia rodmani or Pluteus cervinus, and they would be great, as both are relatively easy to ID, and are pretty easy on the stomach. It […]

    Reply

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Alan Bergo
Milkweed buds are the second-best edible part of t Milkweed buds are the second-best edible part of the plant, besides the pods in my opinion. They need to be cooked to be edible. 

I only pick from common milkweed in areas where there’s very large colonies. 

I leave some buds to flower on each plant, I also avoid any tops that have insects or monarch caterpillars. Plenty of food to go around. 

#milkweedisafoodplant #foraging #milkweedbuds #asclepiassyriaca
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
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