A Lion’s Mane mushroom recipe will add flavor and texture to any hearty dish. This and many other mushrooms also provide health benefits, making them a double-dose of goodness.
Most of us are accustomed to cooking with button mushrooms, which are the smaller, white variety most commonly found in grocery stores. Portabella is another type of mushroom that is common in stores.
But to really expand your culinary tastes and add a punch of health advantages to your diet, Lion’s Mane mushrooms are an excellent choice.
What Is Lion’s Mane?
Lion’s Mane are mushrooms that may not be well known in the kitchen, but they are known for their medicinal properties. Lion’s Mane has a number of cognitive health benefits, such as the potential to repair some of the damage done to the brain.
That’s because Lion’s Mane contains compounds that may stimulate the growth of brain cells, and it may help to protect against memory loss. That makes Lion’s Mane a great addition to the diet of those suffering from conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease.
It may also help with depression and anxiety, provide benefits to the digestive tract, aid with inflammation, and have antioxidant properties.
Since psilocybin or “magic mushrooms” are being studied for some of the same benefits, such as providing a psychological boost or helping with functioning anxiety and depression, some people ask: Is Lion’s Mane illegal? The answer is no. Psilocybin is illegal under federal law in the United States, but some states are decriminalizing it for therapeutic use.
Lion’s Mane, however, is perfectly legal to grow, purchase and consume.
What Does Lion’s Mane Look and Taste Like?
A Lion’s Mane mushroom can be found in the wild in some parts of North America. It can best be described as “toothed” or “bearded.”
Lion’s Mane is identified by long spines, which are half an inch or longer, and their tendency to grow in a single slump with their spines dangling. They are usually found during late summer and early fall and grow on hardwood trees such as American beech trees.
What does Lion’s Mane taste like? The flavor and texture of Lion’s Mane is sometimes described as similar to lobster meat, in that it is meaty and stringy, with a sweet and savory taste.
What does Lion’s Mane smell like? Lion’s Mane mushrooms don’t have a distinctive smell when picked. While their savory flavor is said to be similar to lobster, their smell is relatively bland.
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Lion’s Mane Identification and Availability
Lion’s Mane or Hericium erinaceus belongs to the tooth fungus group. It is native to North America, Europe and Asia, and usually found on hardwood trees.
Lion’s Mane has long spines that tend to dangle in a single clump. The fruit bodies are large, bulbous “tubercules” dominated by hanging, spore-producing spines.
In other words, there is a central body or stalk with icicle-like teeth hanging from it. The teeth resemble the hair of a lion’s mane, which gives the mushroom its most common name. Its other names include monkey head mushroom, bearded tooth mushroom, satyr’s beard, bearded hedgehog mushroom, pom pom mushroom, and bearded tooth fungus.
The fruit bodies and spines are white to cream in color, turning to yellow then brown as they get older.
Lion’s Mane mushrooms grow mostly on living hardwoods, such as oak or beech trees, and are usually found during late summer and fall. They are found across North America, Europe and Asia. While Hericium erinaceus is usually considered saprophytic, feeding on dead trees, it can also be found on living trees.
Lion’s Mane are also often found high on the tree’s trunk, while other mushrooms tend to grow on the ground or at the base of trees. That means if you’re out in the forest, look up to find Lion’s Mane.
They can be mistaken for other species of Hericium (which means hedgehog in Latin). The other toothed species include the coral spine fungus found in Europe.
Lion’s mane doesn’t have any poisonous mushrooms that look similar to it, but as with any mushroom, make sure you know exactly what you’ve found if you’re foraging in the wild. Consult a local expert before you eat a mushroom you’ve found on your own.
Another option is to purchase a Lion’s Mane mushroom kit and grow them at home. A pre-packaged kit provides you with everything you need to grow your own mushrooms. For instance, a kit with an inoculated substrate inside a bag means you get mushroom spawn inside the material the mushroom grows in, all placed inside of a grow bag which is easy to manage at home.
Lion’s Mane Storage and Cleaning
Once you get your mushrooms home, you can prepare them for cooking or store them for later use. You can store them in a paper bag in the fridge, which will keep them fresh for about one week.
You can also freeze or dry them, but it’s best to clean them first. Start by removing any discolored or woody portions, keeping the spongy white material that looks similar to cauliflower. Tear them into pieces if you like.
Since they absorb water, try not to use too much water to clean them, or you will have to squeeze the water out of them, and then place them on a towel to dry before cooking. If they aren’t too dirty, or you grew them at home, you could simply brush them to clean them.
To freeze them, sauté them first, cool them, and then freeze them. When you’re ready to use them, you can throw them into a hot skillet to warm them, or add them to a dish like soup.
To put them in your dehydrator, tear them into pieces but don’t cook them. Place them in a single layer and dry them, and then store them in a sealed container. When you’re ready to use them, you can rehydrate them, or even steep them to make tea.
Different Ways to Serve Lion’s Mane
Lion’s Mane is best used as the basis of a meal, rather than including it in a complex recipe that may hide the delicious flavor.
Since Lion’s Mane is also extremely absorbent, they may not be the best addition in a dish like soup or stew. They will absorb a lot of water and likely take on the taste of the soup, instead of providing the unique flavor they provide on their own, which is said to be similar to lobster.
Instead, simply cooking them with butter or oil is a nice way to try them for the first time. You can use them in a recipe instead of a more common mushroom like a button or cremini mushroom.
Lion’s Mane can be used in risotto, for instance, or in a stir-fry. Another unique way to use them is in “crab cakes,” using the Lion’s Mane in place of crab meat. Their flavor and texture make them ideal as a replacement for meat in vegetarian and vegan recipe variations. For instance, its unique appearance means it can be seasoned and used as a pork substitute, shredded into a “pulled pork” sandwich.
Other common recipe ideas for how to cook Lion’s Mane include roasting them with shallots or making them into a burger.
If you prefer not to eat Lion’s Mane, but you still want to access the health benefits, you can also purchase capsules, powders or extracts. Is it safe to take Lion’s Mane everyday? Yes, as long as you follow the dosage instructions on the package.
How Do You Cook With Lion’s Mane?
To start, prepare the mushrooms by tearing them into bite-sized pieces, similar to tearing apart a head of cauliflower. Then, because these have a fairly high moisture content, it’s best to dry-saute over medium heat to start.
Heat a skillet and fry the mushrooms, being careful not to “crowd” them. If the mushrooms are crowded in the pan, they won’t brown as well as when you give them room. Cook them in batches if necessary.
After a few minutes of frying, the mushrooms will release their moisture, adding liquid to the pan while you cook them. Once the water boils away and the mushrooms start to brown, you can add either butter or oil, and garlic if you like. Continue cooking until they’re golden brown, then add any additional spices if you desire, and serve.
If you don’t feel as comfortable frying them to start your mushroom cooking journey, try using Lion’s Mane in this easy and delicious recipe for roasted asparagus and wild mushrooms, courtesy of the Mayo Clinic. Any wild mushrooms will do, so Lion’s Mane is ideal.
Roasted asparagus and wild mushrooms
Number of servings: Serves 4
Ingredients:
• 1 pound asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 cups Lion’s Mane mushrooms, cut into quarters
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• Zest of one lemon
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a glass bowl or large sealable food bag. Toss to coat. Let marinate for 1 to 2 hours in the refrigerator.
Place onto nonstick cookie sheet. Turn broiler to high. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, turning vegetables over once or until lightly browned.
References:
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/lions-mane-mushroom#section11
http://cascadiamushrooms.com/recipes/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hericium_erinaceus
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/recipes/roasted-asparagus-and-wild-mushrooms/rcp-20049948
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