Maitake: The Expensive Mushroom You Can Forage for Free
Photography by Marie Viljoen
In the Northeast, October is a special month. It is my twelfth season of hunting maitake in the wilds of New York City, and the sense of fun has not diminished.
Maitake growing in New York’s Hudson Valley. It is very hard to control the excited wiggle in your walk as you approach the first mushroom of the season, and your next dinner.
Maitake’s scientific binomial is Grifola frondosa; the species name means “full of leaves.”
The caps of maitake range from tan to pale gray. The mushroom is parasitic, feeding on the trees’ roots, and causing a white rot, which will weaken its benefactor and contribute eventually to so-called tip-over (when a tree topples from the base).
Maitake “brains”—young, pristine mushrooms, sliced. Trim away any debris, and wash. For tender mushrooms, you can also tear the caps, keeping a strand of the soft white core attached to each.
I roast the tough, chewy core of maitake to use for mushroom broth.
Cultivated maitake roasted with butter and seasoned with sea salt.
Lacto-fermenting maitake caps to make a later, cooked mushroom ketchup.
Roasted Hen of the Woods and Farro Pilaf
Two layers of maitake complexity make this woodsy pilaf sing autumn. • 2 Tablespoons chives, cut finely (or field garlic). Broth: In a saucepan over medium-high heat warm the oil and add the maitake heart. Strain the broth through a fine mesh sieve.
Measure out 1 cup for the pilaf (use the extra for soup, sauce, or just do broth shots! To finish: Place the skillet over medium heat and add the farro with the chives, stirring for a minute. The grains will make appealing, popping noises.