Okay, of course McDowell has heard about the woods chickie (got mixed taste reviews) but had not had the opportunity to get up close and personal with one. But she did this year – and was it fun!

But I’m getting ahead of myself…

It all began September 16, 2018 when I walked out from the cottage and saw this:

Okay, I said to myself, that looks like an explosion of… what…

And two days later that explosion turned into this:

Beautiful right? Oh this is definitely something! Could this be the woods chickie that I’ve been hearing about? And yes it was.

I harvested the gorgeous beauty on October 4. And here they are washed (sort of) and ready.

Hey are those teeth?!?

And now for the taste report. I’m a real texture person and the firmness of Laetiporus sulphureus is outstanding. It’s been a long time (like 40+ years) since I’ve eaten anything with such wonderful bite firmness. Taste-wise I’d say it’s very subtle. Yes, not a lot going on there. But… teaming up the summer lobsters with the woods chickies made for a perfect meal.

Laetiporus sulphureus And only east of the rockies you say? Well, one good reason to head east.

Once again, mushrooms made my life sublime in Ontario cottage country.

Looking out from the cottage deck in October.

 

About The Woods Chick  (Laetiporus sulphureus)

Laetiporus sulphureus is a species of bracket fungus (fungi that grow on trees) found in Europe and North America. Its common names arecrab-of-the-woods, sulphur polypore, sulphur shelf, and chicken-of-the-woods. Its fruit bodies grow as striking golden-yellow shelf-like structures on tree trunks and branches. Old fruitbodies fade to pale beige or pale grey. The undersurface of the fruit body is made up of tubelike pores rather than gills.

More information: Laetiporus sulphureus: Wikipedia