Lions Mane (Hericium).

Lion’s Mane mushrooms are best suited for cooked applications such as baking, frying, roasting, and sautéing. Their meaty texture is often used as a substitute for meat and can be served as a replacement for seafood, lamb, and pork. They are also commonly sautéed and served in pasta, stir-fries, soups, surf and turf, burgers, and salads. This mild mushroom easily picks up the flavors of the accompanying ingredients and can be a part of both side and main dishes. When prepping, the mushroom should be thoroughly washed or brushed clean and then squeezed out like a sponge to remove excess water. The mushroom is very absorbent and too much water will ruin the flavor and texture of the dish. Lion’s Mane mushrooms pair well with apples, ginger, garlic, shallots, onions, butter, chiles, paprika, thyme, parsley, rosemary, sage, saffron, white pepper, kohlrabi, spinach, leeks, lemon, carrots, potatoes, pine nuts, meats such as beef and poultry, cashews, dry white wine, pesto, and chicken stock. They will keep for a couple of days when stored in a paper bag in the refrigerator. They can also be cooked and then frozen for a couple of months.