We have a major dose of spring fever here at Westerly Food! This weather is going to trick us though, isn’t it? We are heading into spring cooking mode anyway and are in love with these lion’s mane mushrooms that we got from Mystic’s Seacoast Mushrooms at the Stonington Village Farmers Market this past weekend.
The Latin name for this mushroom is Hericium erinaceus or “hedgehog”. They do resemble a hedgehog, but if you can get past that they have numerous health benefits as well. Noted for improving memory, these mushrooms are also sold in wellness shops in a powdered capsule form. They are also known as sheep’s head, monkey’s head, bear’s head or Yamabushitake mushrooms.
I first had lion’s mane mushrooms a few years ago and used them to make a “fake” lobster roll. You will find the texture of this mushroom to be quite similar to lobster. Good news if you have a shellfish allergy, as I do. They have since become one of my very favorite mushrooms and I was so pleased to see them offered from Seacoast Mushrooms.
Today we used our lion’s mane mushrooms along with some asparagus and linguini to make a light lunch. This mushroom is at its best when sautéed in olive oil until the edges are crispy. At that point it is recommended to deglaze the pan and then add some butter. We used sherry vinegar to deglaze our pan and then continued to sauté in about a tablespoon of butter before tossing them with blanched asparagus and linguine fini.
This lunch was so delicious and screamed of spring. If this is the lion that March comes in with perhaps it will still go out like a lamb. Here’s hoping!
