Chicken of the Woods Mushroom Fritters
This chicken of the woods recipe turns mushrooms, hard-boiled eggs, and milk-soaked bread into crispy mushroom fritters, fried in olive oil until golden and crunchy. A simple, old-fashioned wild mushroom dinner for enthusiastic foragers.
EQUIPMENT
- 2 cooking pots
- 1 frying pan
- 1 blender or potato masher
INGREDIENTS
- 1 lb chicken of the woods mushrooms
- 3 oz dry bread (two slices)
- 1 cup milk
- 1 onion
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 6 eggs
- 16 tbsp breadcrumbs (10 for the mixture, 6 for coating)
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 6 tbsp olive oil
- ½ cup fresh parsley
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INSTRUCTIONS
- Wash the chicken of the woods (1 lb /450 g) under running water, scrubbing away soil, insects, and bits of bark with a brush. Cut away the woody section near the base and chop the soft flesh into bite-size pieces. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- Dice the dry bread (3 oz/80 g), put it in a small bowl, and cover it with the warm milk (1 cup/240 ml). Leave it to soften.
- Drop the mushroom pieces into the boiling water and cook over medium-high heat for a minimum of 20 minutes.
- In the meantime, cook 4 eggs in a separate pot for 10 to 12 minutes, so the yolks set completely. Cool and peel.
- Also, while the mushroom cooks, dice the onion (1 large) and sauté it in olive oil until soft and golden. Take the pan off the heat and mix in the garlic (4 to 5 cloves), letting the warm onion soften it.
- Drain the mushroom and give it a short cold-water rinse. Pulse it briefly in a blender together with the boiled eggs, or mash both with a potato masher. Leave the mixture chunky, not smooth.
- Beat the remaining 2 eggs in a large mixing bowl. Squeeze the milk out of the soaked bread, add the bread to the eggs, and break it up with a fork.
- Mix in the mushroom and egg mash, the onion and garlic, the parsley (½ cup/30 g, chopped), salt (2 tsp), and black pepper (1 tsp). Fold in the breadcrumbs (10 tablespoons) and let the mixture sit for 10 minutes to firm up.
- Shape the mixture into fritters of equal size. Press each one into the remaining breadcrumbs (6 tbsp) so both sides are coated.
- Pour a generous layer of olive oil into a large frying pan and heat it. Cook the fritters for 3 to 5 minutes per side, until crisp and deep brown.
- Drain on paper towels and serve warm with a favorite dip. Enjoy!
NOTES
TIPS
Boil it fully. Never serve chicken of the woods raw or half-cooked. The 20-minute boil is a safety step, not just a cooking step. If you've never eaten this mushroom before, start with a small serving to see how your body reacts.
Pick your mushroom with care. Leave behind any chicken of the woods growing on yew, conifers, or eucalyptus.
Use only the tender parts. The base where the mushroom grew onto the tree is hard and woody, so cut it away before cooking.
Squeeze the bread well. Milk-soaked bread keeps the fritters moist, but any extra liquid makes the mixture too wet to shape.
Let the mixture rest. The 10-minute wait lets the breadcrumbs absorb moisture, so the fritters are easy to shape and hold together in the pan.
For a gluten-free option, use gluten-free bread and breadcrumbs.
STORAGE AND FREEZING
The fritters are best eaten freshly fried. Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 1 day; do not reheat. To plan ahead, freeze the boiled and rinsed mushroom (with cold water) for up to 6 months. Thaw it overnight in the fridge, then continue with step 6.
NUTRITION
Serving: 232g ~Calories: 414kcal ~Carbohydrates: 40g ~Protein: 14g ~Fat: 22g ~Saturated Fat: 5g ~Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g ~Monounsaturated Fat: 13g ~Trans Fat: 0.02g ~Cholesterol: 169mg ~Sodium: 1163mg ~Potassium: 652mg ~Fiber: 5g ~Sugar: 6g ~Vitamin A: 727IU ~Vitamin C: 9mg ~Calcium: 178mg ~Iron: 6mg