Chicken of the Woods

Having mushrooms as an ingredient of a meal is a common thing.  Usually those mushrooms are purchased at a store.  A few days ago my brother and his new wife invited me over for dinner to eat a mushroom that they plucked off of a tree in the woods.  Ummm... is that safe?  Apparently it is and it was delicious!

Laetiporus Sulphureus is more commonly known as Chicken of the Woods or Chicken Mushroom.  The mushroom's nicknames are due to the fact that many people think it tastes like chicken and "it can be prepared in most ways that one can prepare chicken meat."  This type of mushroom can be found in late spring to early autumn in eastern North American hardwood forests, such as the woods here in Pennsylvania.

The large mushrooms are bright orange and yellow and grow on living or dead hardwood trees.

The base of the mushroom is thick and meaty which is the best part for eating.

We added the mushroom to a vegetable stir-fry for dinner.  The mushroom itself doesn't have a strong odor or taste.  It takes on the taste of whatever you season it with or cook it with.  The texture was remarkable; like that of very tender chicken.  It's meaty but breaks apart easily in your mouth.

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"Never be afraid to try something new.

Remember, amateurs built the ark;

professionals built the Titanic."

~Author Unknown