Dryad’s Saddle Shelf Mushroom
OK, just a quick post on this fantastic mushroom I found while out walking the other day. Commonly known as Dryad’s Saddle or Pheasants back mushroom ( Polyporus squamosus
to the latin boffins ) this is an edible mushroom that grows on the side of decideous trees such as oak, sycamore, walnut, or beech.
The mushroom appears July-August and has a thick meaty flesh. It is very short-lived and maggots soon turn the mushroom into a sticky mess within a few weeks of appearing.
I must admit I’m very wary off consuming wild mushrooms, even the Morel mushroom which I clearly recognise – so I consulted with a friend who knows her mushrooms!
I have to admit though that it is an excellent specimen which tastes and smells a bit like water melon! Best picked for eating before it gets to this size though, as the flesh becomes a bit tough and woody as it gets older.
And indeed the younger Fungi does make an excellent mushroom soup either dried or fresh picked.
Here’s a quick Dryad’s saddle recipe for broth courtesy of foragerchef.com
Just a final note of caution here..be sure that you know your fungi before eating any specimens from the wild – they do have a tendancy to kill you if you get the species wrong!
Update: I did come across a younger version later in the week and sliced it into an omlette for my breakfast – very tasty I have to say, not like the boring white button mushrooms I usually buy at the store – and I’m still alive, which means I picked the right mushrooms!
Update summer 2021 – found this weird-looking Dryad’s saddle growing in a dead sycamore tree-trunk in my own garden – time to put on the soup pot again 🙂
Link to Farmhouse Kitchen Recipe book on Amazon
Ingredients
- 2 cups chopped fresh dryad's saddle mushrooms
- 8 cups water
- 1/4 cup each carrot, celery, onion chopped fine
Instructions
- Heat a tbsp of cooking oil such as grapeseed or canola in a small sauce-pan big enough to hold the water. Cook the chopped carrot, onion and celery on medium heat for 10 minutes, keep an eye on the vegetables so they don't brown, you want a nice, light broth
- Add the water and dryad's saddle mushrooms, bring the mixture almost to a boil, then reduce the heat and cook for 2 hours, then strain the liquid through cheesecloth and serve.