Shaggy Mane Mushroom Recipe

Shaggy Mane Mushrooms at Different Stages, in the Early Morning Light

I attended a mushroom hunt a few weeks ago, and I came away without mushrooms, but with a shaggy mane mushroom recipe.

The hunt took place in the woods, and the shaggy mane (coprinus comatus) grows in open fields, so it was not included in that day's activities, but I asked the mycologist to tell me how to deal with the abundance of shaggy manes that pop up in my village every October. I had tried cooking them, but I didn't like the way they came out, all black and yucky. (It won't surprise you to hear that they're often referred to as "inky caps".)

The secret?

1. Pick them as young as possible -- before they start turning black;
2. Cut them in two lengthwise;
3. Freeze them on a cookie sheet;
4. Bag them and store them in the freezer;
5. Take out as many as you need and sauté them.

OR

• Cut them in two and sauté them fresh.

WARNING: shaggy manes and alcohol are a toxic combination.