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    Home » Wild Mushroom Recipes

    White Wine Pheasant Backs

    Published: May 9, 2021 Modified: Mar 15, 2023 by Alan Bergo This post may contain affiliate links 2 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    My old chef and I were out morel hunting in a new spot in Wisconsin this week, and, unfortunately, we got skunked. Thankfully there were a few old-timers on the same patch of land who hunt it every year who came up empty handed too, so I didn't feel too bad. 

    White wine pheasant back or dryad saddle mushrooms recipe with garlic and herbs

    As is pretty common when I'm not getting morels, I grabbed a few pheasant backs / dryad saddles to bring home as a consolation prize, so white wine pheasant backs were on the menu for the evening. It's a good, easy wild mushroom recipe you can also use for species like chicken of the woods mushrooms and just about any species you have.  

    Pheasant back or dryad saddle mushroom Cerioporus squamosus

    This is a great way to prepare these mushrooms if you're used to just frying them up. Instead of sautéing them in a bunch of fat, which can be good, I cook them gently, with what I might describe as the poêler method, where an the ingredient in question is stewed in it's own liquid (here with a splash of wine) which keeps them nice and juicy. 

    The best part of this recipe that may surprise you is the natural juices / liquor that the mushrooms make. Believe me when I say it's just about good enough to drink from the pan. 

    Use ideas:

    The finished dish is a saucy mushroom side perfect for spooning on top of fish or chicken. Consider finishing the sauce with some chopped dill, chives, wild onions, green garlic or mint here. 

    It's a great start to a bowl of pasta. To finish the dish, add a good knob of butter, a splash of chicken stock, some fresh young peas or spinach, and parmesan or goat cheese stirred in right at the end, off the heat as you toss the juicy mushrooms with your noodles of choice (linguine would be good). 

    Add some extra chicken stock and ¼ cup each finely chopped carrot onion and celery and it's a good start to a spring mushroom soup. 

    White wine pheasant back or dryad saddle mushrooms recipe with garlic and herbs
    White wine pheasant back or dryad saddle mushrooms recipe with garlic and herbs
    Print Recipe
    5 from 2 votes

    White Wine Pheasant Backs

    Pheasant back mushrooms stewed with garlic, white wine and herbs. Delicious spooned over fish on a bed of polenta or tossed with a bowl pasta. Serves 2-4
    Prep Time15 mins
    Cook Time10 mins
    Total Time25 mins
    Course: Condiment, Side Dish
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: Dryad Saddle, Pheasant Back, Wild mushrooms
    Servings: 2 People
    Calories: 167kcal
    Author: Alan Bergo

    Equipment

    • 1 8 inch soup pan

    Ingredients

    • 1 large clove garlic minced
    • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
    • 8 oz tender edges of dryad saddle mushrooms sliced as thin as possible on a mandoline
    • ¼ cup dry white wine
    • ¼ cup vegetable broth
    • ¼ teaspoon salt plus more to taste
    • Tiny pinch of red pepper flakes
    • Dash of fresh lemon to taste
    • Roughly 10 fresh mint leaves or other fresh herbs basil, oregano, wild oregano, or ramp leaves are a good substitute here. Use what you have available.

    Instructions

    • In a 10 inch saute pan or small saucepan, sweat the garlic and butter on medium-low for 2-3 minutes without allowing the garlic to color.
    • Add the sliced mushrooms, pinch of chili, wine and stock, cover and bring to a simmer until the mushrooms are tender and have given up their juice.
    • Remove the lid and simmer the pan for 5-10 minutes to concentrate the pan juices.
    • Taste the pan juices-they’re delicious, and that makes this recipe a good starting point for a bowl of pasta with some fresh spring greens tossed in at the end as well as just a garnish for a plate.
    • The mushrooms should be gently swimming in a rich liquor, if you don’t want to drizzle their juices over something on a plate, you can concentrate this into a light sauce by simmering it for a bit longer.
    • Taste and adjust the seasoning for salt just before serving, adding the lemon and mint or other herbs right at the end.

    Notes

    General Cooking 

    This is a juicy preparation of dryad saddles, if you like, you can tighten it by reducing the juices to give it the feel of a bowl of simply cooked mushrooms.

    Herbs 

    Feel free to use different herbs if you like. A little chopped thyme, sliced basil, or tarragon are all good here. 

    Mushrooms 

    Besides pheasant backs, you can also use chicken of the woods a and hen of the woods like this. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 3oz | Calories: 167kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 422mg | Potassium: 375mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 413IU | Vitamin C: 0.5mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 1mg

    More 

    Dryad’s Saddle or Pheasant Back Mushroom

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Patrick Maun

      May 15, 2022 at 3:47 pm

      5 stars
      This is the BEST way to prepare Pheasant Back. I’ve subbed vermouth for white wine which also works wonderfully.

      Reply
      • Alan Bergo

        May 15, 2022 at 4:17 pm

        Thanks Patrick! Yeah Vermouth is a really good idea. I’m going to give this a copy edit and add that for an option.

        Reply

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