Vegetarian, foraged oyster mushroom chowder

It's important to know the right mushroom for every task.

When you go to buy oyster mushrooms in the store, you will find that the caps are very small (less than 2" across) and still feature "in-rolled" edges. Basically the edges of the caps roll down and under, towards the gills. This is considered the best time to eat oysters, as they have not yet released their spores, and the flesh is at it's most firm and meaty.

They basically look like this:

When the caps are still rolled down towards the gills,
oyster mushrooms have their best firmness. 

It's easy to harvest "optimal" mushrooms when you are farm-raising them. But in the wild, you generally don't have the luxury, unless you know a spot you can visit every day. Most often the oysters you find in the wild will have flat caps, occasionally with rippled and/or cracked edges. They will mostly look like this:

Older oyster mushrooms are less firm, and work best in soups,
gravies, and after being dried and reconstituted.

Older oyster mushrooms, like the ones above, loose some of that firmness, and are less meaty. Some foragers will even bypass these "spongy" specimens, but they still have a lot of flavor, and are perfect in the right application. By pureeing these mushrooms, like in soups or gravies, you avoid the texture issues.

You can also dehydrate older oyster mushrooms. Once reconstituted, they will have a unique texture--not firm and "mushroomy" like the young ones, but more meaty, almost rubbery a bit. Rather like cooked clams, which is what made me want to try this dish.

Being a native New Englander living in Texas, I sometimes find myself overwhelmed with the desire for foods I simply can't get around here. Sometimes it's lobster rolls, but most often it's clam chowder.  I'd heard that oyster mushrooms can make a passible substitute for clam chowder, and I was highly skeptical, but I decided to give it a shot.

So, truth be told, I was right to be skeptical.

This chowder does taste quite seafood-y, just not like clams. But it was rich, incredibly hearty and really quite delicious.

In order to get the seafood flavor, you are going to need to acquire some unusual ingredients. Top quality sea salt is essential here, I recommend a really briny variety. I used a mix of this salt and this salt, both from Jacobsen Salt Co., which I purchased while visiting a friend in Portland. (I get nothing from mentioning their salt, I just think it's a top-quality product).

In addition, you're going to need to make a trip to your local Asian market for seaweed and vegetarian (kelp-based) dashi. If you don't care about keeping your dish vegetarian, you could use regular squid-based dashi or fish sauce instead.  You will also need to pick up some sheets of nori (dried seaweed).

Vegetarian oyster mushroom chowder

Makes 12 -14 cups! Prep & cook: about 1 1/2 hours.

4 cups dried oyster mushrooms
1 quart whole milk
1 pint (2 cups) heavy cream
1 cup semi dry white wine
4 medium potatoes, cut to bite-size pieces (I used 2 red, and 2 white sweet)
2 large carrots, peeled and sliced
2 yellow onions, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
4 sheets of nori/lavar
5 packets (or teaspoons) vegetarian dashi
2 sticks of butter
1 1/2 cup of flour
1/2 cup soy sauce
Olive oil
High quality sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

1. Mix 2 cups of warm water with enough sea salt to make a light brine. Add in your 1/2 cup of soy sauce and 1 sheet of nori (crumbled)

2. Add your oyster mushrooms to rehydrate. If you need extra liquid to cover your mushrooms, add more water. Weigh the mushrooms down so they don't float. I use a salad plate with a can of veggies on top to weigh everything down.
Set aside 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, to reconstitute.

3. Add some olive oil to a large chowder pot, over medium heat. Add in your onions and celery, and sauté until onion is translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon, set aside in a large bowl.

4. In the same pot, add in your potatoes and carrots, with more olive oil, if needed, and cook until softened/about half-way cooked, stirring regularly. This will take about 5-10 minutes. Remove the veggies and set aside with onions and celery.

5. Reserving the liquid, drain your oyster mushrooms, and really squeeze them out. Cut into bite-sized pieces.

6. Add the mushrooms and 1/4 stick of butter (cut into pats) into the chowder pot. Sprinkle with one package (or a tsp) of dashi. Cook, stirring regularly, until mushrooms release their liquid, re-absorb it, and start to brown, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the mushrooms and add put them with the rest of the veggies.

7. Add the remaining butter to the chowder pot and cook over medium until butter melts. Slowly stir in your flour. Keep stirring or whisking till it all comes together smoothly, and looses the flour smell, about 5-10 minutes.

8. Pour in your wine, stirring constantly, and mix until smooth. Add all your veggies back into the pot, along with the milk and half of the mushroom liquid. Break up the remaining nori sheets, as finely as you can with your hands, and stir in. Add in the rest of the dashi. Season to taste with pepper, and if you need a little more saltiness, use a bit more of the mushroom liquid. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until your potatoes and carrots are fully cooked, about 10-15 minutes.

9. Turn off the heat but do not remove from the hot burner. Stir in your heavy cream, add in additional seasoning if needed, remove from heat and serve.

Though there is a lot of work involved, this recipe makes enough to feed either a small army, or a family with lunches throughout the week. 

If you are looking to possibly identify winter oyster mushrooms in the wild,
 please check out my guide. 

Note that identifying summer oyster mushrooms is more tricky.