Monday 12 March 2012

Chicken of the wood


'Darkest Africa' takes on a whole new meaning when it takes a week of pleading and begging for a technician to eventually fix a fault in their over priced, over loaded and stone age slow adsl line.

So I'm very behind on a fabulous week and am going to start right back at the beginning, Marie and that sensational mushroom.......

Armed with my basket, knife and Marie from 66 square feet's careful directions- they read something like this 'across the dam wall to the far south, on the sandy path under pines. On your Left there is very tall oak stump. It is on the far side of a deep hollow, near the stream'.



I must have pirate blood, who wouldn't be excited with directions like that?

 It was a treasure hunt and the prize was Marie's much anticipated chicken of the wood mushroom, a scary orange cluster  mushroom growing on an old oak stump... (I trust you Marie, plus she describes it much better here)- apparently it is utterly delicious and poor Marie, so far away was agonized at the thought of all that deliciousness unappreciated and uneaten.....well not on my watch!

I made it for breakfast, sauteed some onions and garlic, added the sliced mushroom, a sprinkling of lemon thyme and a few glucks of white wine, simmered gently for 8 mins....oh heaven, what a treat!



The next day for lunch, I added a few slices to the peppers, cherry tomatoes and ham, tossed the lot with tagliatelle - a subtle mushroom flavour, meaty and no slimy texture that some wild mushrooms get.

I was saving the last piece for pizzas, but was feeling generous and gave it to a friend, who served it for dinner to her friends.

Now there are many of us interested in that old stump- thank you for sharing  from so far away Marie.

12 comments:

  1. Thank you! I have eaten it vicariously now, and it looks delicious. You are a true and intrepid friend, even posting a picture of the sandy path xox

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  2. Envious! Luckily winter is coming, which means soggy post-rain mushroom hunting in Newlands forest. Looks like it was well appreciated :)

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  3. Envious...I read Marie's description and have spent many minutes hunting out exact identifications for these "Chicken of the Woods". If I could have reached Capestown from here they would have been mine! Mine, I say! They look every bit of delicious, as Marie claimed them to be!

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    1. Wish you guys could have shared it with us!

      Next time, I'm thinking beef stew with red wine and those mushrooms...xx

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    3. Love your pictures and vivid descriptions. Could almost smell the fragrance of those delicious mushrooms!

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  4. So glad you found it. I looked for the mushroom with Marie (to no avail) and I'm glad to know someone found the regal Chicken and appreciated it.

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  5. Is there any restaurant in Cape Town or surrounds that has the chicken of the woods on their menu???

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    1. Sorry, I'm afraid I don't know of any- before Marie educated me I didn't notice them at all, then in that week I must have seen at least 4 stumps, 2 on the way to Hout Bay and one on the traffic island at Newland forest robots! Sadly, they were all wilted and finished and untasted- such a terrible waste.

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  6. hello i discovering your blog ( excuse me for my language but i am french)rhone alpes ) ..i like the style of your photogaphies..the athmosphere is as my personality..go away in the way..
    thank you .
    see you later.

    christophe.

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    1. thank you so much for those kind words Christophe!

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  7. yesterday in Newlands forest.
    plenty beautiful spicimens
    get off the paths into the old woods. not in pine or gum

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