Make sure all mushrooms are washed and cooked before consuming to kill bacteria. Make sure the fungi are properly identified as some mushrooms are poisonous and even deadly when consumed.
The bear’s head tooth mushroom (or otherwise called Lion mane) is white when fresh and yellowish with age. The fungi are 15-30cm across, it has a tightly branched structure starting from the base of the root. When young, the fungi are often mistaken for Hericium Erinaceus, which is edible and in the same family! This species of Hericium is easy to identify, it’s the only type of its species to form a branched structure. It is normally found on wounds of living or very recently cut hardwoods and that its spines are longer than 1cm in length.
They are available from late August to November, Growing in groups or on their own. They are edible when they are young (Be sure they are white) and taste slightly nutty when cooked.
Lions’ mane mushroom crab cakes
Makes 4-5 crab cakes!
Mushrooms
• 1 lb. lions’ mane or other Hericium mushrooms
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons water
Cake mix
• ¼ cup minced scallion
• ¼ cup minced red bell pepper
• ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
• ¼ cup high-fat mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons chopped herbs like cilantro tarragon, or Italian parsley
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire or similar I use mushroom ketchup
• 1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning optional, a mix of paprika, cayenne, and extra salt can be substituted
• 1 large egg
• Kosher salt to taste
Wilt the mushrooms and remove the water
- Pick the lion’s mane mushrooms into pieces to resemble crab meat. Put the mushrooms in a pan with the water and salt, cover and bring to a simmer, stir, cover, and cook for a few minutes until the mushrooms are wilted and have given up their juice.
- Allow the mushrooms to cool, then squeeze out as much water as you possibly can. This step is important as mushrooms, unlike crab, contain lots of water.
Mix with the crab cake mix - Combine the mushrooms with the cake ingredients and mix well. Taste a bit of the mixture (you can cook it if raw egg weirds you out) adjust the seasoning for salt and anything else you’re looking for, then allow the crab cake mix to rest for at least 15 minutes to allow the breadcrumbs to hydrate, which will make forming the cakes easier. In a perfect world, you’ll let it sit overnight.
Cooking - To cook the cakes, form 4 oz. patties of the mixture (it will be delicate, don’t worry—the egg will set as they cook). For the most refined look, form the cakes using a ring mold.
- Heat a pan with a few tablespoons of oil.
- Heat an oven to 350F. Meanwhile, gently dredge the cakes in flour on both sides, tap off the excess, and brown on medium heat. When one side of the cakes is golden brown, gently flip the cakes, transfer the pan to the oven, and cook until hot throughout, about 10 minutes.
Serving - Remove the cakes to a plate with a fresh green salad, top with a dollop of spicy mayonnaise or aioli if using, sprinkle with chives and serve with lemon wedges on the side. The cakes are also excellent served on a bun like you would a burger.
Recipe source from: foragerchef.com