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

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Wild Mushroom Chili

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Hen of the woods or wild mushroom chili recipe_Back when I was the chef at Lucia’s restaurant, making vegetarian chili was a twice a week ritual as it was one of the most popular take-away items served at the deli connected to the restaurant. We served a simple vegetarian chili, filled with all the things you’d expect, and it was good, for vegetarian chili.

This mushroom based version is even better though, and it’s a great way to highlight mushrooms as a meat substitute-a pretty common tradition in plenty of places around the world. The flavors of roasted chilis, beans and spices are a great compliment to mushrooms with a hearty texture, like the hen of the woods I use here. 

You could use lots of different mushrooms here, but the meaty texture of hen or chicken of the woods are going to be some of the most meaty, so if you have some, I recommend them. Hen of the woods are cultivated around the United States and pretty easy to find at local grocers (Asian markets often have them for cheaper). 

I actually used frozen hen of the woods here, and it’s a good way to use up cooked, frozen mushrooms or fresh. Id’ stay away from using dried mushrooms here as fresh or frozen mushrooms will have more of a tender, meaty bite to them. 

Hen of the woods or wild mushroom chili recipe_

Hen of the woods or wild mushroom chili recipe_
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Wild Mushroom Chili

A simple vegetarian chili made with hen of the woods or other wild mushrooms instead of meat. This is a streamlined version using canned beans, if you have the time, I definitely recommend using dried beans, to do that, add 3/4 cup dried beans directly to the pot, when you add the tomato and stock, then bake the chili at 275 F, covered for 2-3 hours or until the beans are tender-adjusting the liquid as you see fit if the chili threatens to get dry.
Prep Time30 mins
Cook Time1 hr 30 mins
Course: Lunch, Main Course, Soup
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Chili, Hen of the woods mushroom
Servings: 6

Ingredients

Chili

  • 1 large Red bell pepper
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter coconut oil can make a good substitute, or just cooking oil.
  • 8 oz 1 large white onion
  • ½ oz garlic cloves (about 3 large)
  • 8 oz mushrooms cut into ½ inch pieces preferably hen of the woods or chicken of the woods (fresh or frozen is fine) *see note
  • 5-6 dried chilis, such as guajillos, or 1/4 cup chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 15 oz can whole peeled tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce This may seem strange but soy helps to add glutamates to the dish that are lost without meat.
  • 3 cups mushroom or vegetable stock
  • 2.5 cups cooked beans such as black or pinto beans, or 2 15 oz cans
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 dried bay leaf
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste

Garnishes

  • Pickled diced red onions
  • Sour cream, thinned with a splash of heavy cream
  • Chopped fresh cilantro
  • Diced or shredded cheese, such as pepperjack, or another melty cheese like Mexican queso chihuahua

Instructions

  • Roast the pepper over a burner or on the grill until blackened on all sides, then remove to a bowl, cover with cling film and allow to cool. Remove the skin from the pepper, rinsing with a little water to speed the process. Discard the seeds from the pepper, dice the flesh into 1/2 inch cubes and reserve.
  • Toast the chilis on a griddle or in a 325 oven for 5-10 minutes or until crisp, then allow to cool. Break the stems from the dried chilis, remove the seeds and discard, then grind the toasted chilis in a spice grinder and reserve.
  • Melt the butter in a 3 qt saucepot.
  • Meanwhile, in the bowl of a food processor, grind the onion and garlic to a fine paste, then transfer to the pot with the butter and cook on medium heat, adding the cumin, chili powder and smoked paprika.
  • Add the onion mixture to the pot and cook for ten minutes or so, stirring occasionally. While the onion mixture cooks, puree the tomatoes in the food processor, then add them to the pot, along with the mushrooms and remaining ingredients.
  • Allow the chili so simmer for 1 hour, then double check the seasoning for salt, adjust until it tastes good to you, then serve with all your favorite accompaniments.
  • Like typical chili, the flavor improves after sitting for a day.

Notes

Using fresh mushrooms vs frozen 

If you want to use fresh mushrooms here, start by sweating them in the fat until they've released their juices and have started to brown lightly, then proceed with adding the ground onion mixture. 

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FORAGER | CHEF®
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Author: The Forager Chef’s Book of Flora
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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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