Hen of the Woods Mushrooms with Mascarpone

Hen on the Woods (maitake) is a wild foraged mushroom. It’s quite common and easy to cook with. You can use it in dishes where you would shiitake, and it’s delicious just sauteed with garlic, onion or shallot, butter and olive oil. You can toss it in pasta or rice or even soups.

To prepare maitake mushrooms, brush off any dirt; I give a five second rinse, but some people insist you should never rinse mushrooms. Cut or tear into bite-sized pieces before cooking. If the base seems very woody and tough, you may need to discard it, but most of it should soften during cooking.

The buttery creaminess of mascarpone cheese is especially delicious with mushrooms, and this is great served with crusty bread or with pasta.

Heat a little oil and butter in a cast iron skillet and add onions or shallots. Cook a few minutes until the onions are translucent and add the garlic and hens. Saute about five to seven minutes, or longer if you like them crispy and browned. Add mascarpone cheese, more or less depending on how you plan to serve them. 

Learn more about the healthy and medicinal attributes of maitakes, check out the article below from eattheplanet.com.

Hen of the Woods – Powerful Medicinal and Edible Mushroom