Maitake Mushrooms

Maitake mushrooms are well suited for both raw and cooking methods such as roasting, grilling, baking, frying, sautéing, and stir-frying. When cooked, Maitake mushrooms are succulent, semi-firm, and chewy with a woodsy, earthy, and spicy flavor. When used fresh, Maitake mushrooms can be crumbled and tossed into leafy green salads or sprinkled over soups. When cooked, Maitake mushrooms are mixed into stir-fries with other fall vegetables, boiled in stews and soups, tossed into pasta, sprinkled over pizza, or cooked into omelets. They can also be sautéed in butter and served as a stand-alone side dish or baked into a mushroom thyme cheesecake. In addition to cooking, Maitake mushrooms can be frozen, cooked or raw, and can be dried and ground into a powder used to flavor meatloaf, Italian dishes, and sauces such as béchamel, cream, or marinara. The tough base of the mushrooms can also be cooked to make a flavorful stock. Maitake mushrooms pair well with other wild mushrooms, bitter greens, shallot, garlic, thyme, potatoes, cheese such as parmesan and gruyere, eggs, bacon, shellfish, beef, anchovies, vinegar, and cream.