Pheasant's Back Mushroom

Photo: flickr user cyanocorax

About

Cerioporus squamosus, also known as Pheasant's back mushrooms and dryad's saddle, is a basidiomycete bracket fungus found growing on dead trees, are fan shaped with brown "feather-like" coloring, and should be sliced thinly and quickly pan fried to enjoy their delicate taste.

Information

Other names: Dryad Saddle Mushrooms, Hawk's Wing

Translations: Fazānu's Back Sēņu, Fazanas atgal Grybavimas, Fazan Inapoi ciuperci, Fazan's Back gljiva, Pheasant của nấm Quay lại, Powrót na Mushroom Bażant, Terug Mushroom Pheasant's, तीतर पक्षी है वापस मशरूम, Cogumelo Voltar Faisão de, Вернуться фазана грибов, Επιστροφή Μανιτάρι Φασιανός του, الدراج للفطر العودة, 꿩의 위로 버섯, Bažantí Zpět Houbová, Pegar Kembali Jamur, Bumalik kabute benggala's, 野鸡的回蘑菇, Fongs Tornar Ganga, Nazaj Pheasant's Mushroom, Bažantej Späť Hubová, Mushroom's Back Fagiano, אינפקטד לראש פסיון של, Фазан је Назад печурака, フェザントの先頭へキノコ, Retour aux champignons Faisan de, Fasan's Back Mushroom, Hongos Volver Ganga, Повернутися фазана грибів, Fasaani's Back Mushroom, Обратно Фазан на гъби

Physical Description

Dark brown specks against light brown resemble pheasant feathers, fan like shape.

Colors: Light brown (tan) with darker brown specks, white just under surface

Tasting Notes

Flavors: cucumbery

Mouthfeel: Dense, Meaty, Chewy

Food complements: Warm spinach salad

Selecting and Buying

Seasonality: may, june, july

Peak: may, june

Choosing: Choose pheasant's back mushrooms that are on the small side. The larger mushrooms in this family tend to be tough and woody, as well as mealy. Their color should be good. The caps should not be slimy looking, neither should the stems.

Buying: Pheasant's back mushrooms are most often found fresh in the spring.

Procuring: Found growing on dead logs and stumps. Avoid larger pheasant's back mushrooms as they tend to be more dense and tough. Those smaller in size have better flavor and a better texture for cooking.

Preparation and Use

Bake in a 375F oven for up to 45 minutes with just some olive oil drizzled over them and a bit of salt and pepper. They will be a bit crisp. Pheasant's back mushrooms are also suitable for tempura-style cuisine, as well as sauteing and pan-frying. When raw their texture and flavor makes them a nice addition to salads.

Cleaning: Gently rinse mushroom caps under gently running cold water. With a dampened paper towel, or dampened soft kitchen towel, carefully wipe the pores of the underside of the mushrooms.

Conserving and Storing

Fresh mushrooms will keep for up to a week in your fridge. Dried mushrooms will keep up to a year in an air tight container kept in a cool, dark place.