All plants /Mushroom /Chicken of the Woods
Chicken of the Woods
Laetiporus sulphureus, polypore family. Seasonal in East and Central Texas.
At a glance
- What
- The tender edges of the young bracket, always cooked
- How
- Sautéed or simmered thoroughly
- When
- Spring and fall on wood
- Where
- On oaks and other hardwoods, never on the ground
- Value
- Protein; a meaty texture
Caution: Always cook it, and eat a small amount your first time: some people react even to correctly-identified chicken of the woods, and specimens on conifers or certain oaks disagree with more people. Mushrooms demand expert confirmation. Never eat a wild plant on this guide's word alone. Confirm identity against several sources and learn the look-alikes first.
Identification
Overlapping shelves of vivid sulphur-yellow and orange growing straight from a tree trunk or log. No gills, a pore surface underneath.
In the kitchen
The young tender edges really do echo chicken. Take only the soft growing margin, cook it fully, and try a little the first time.
Photo: Andreas Eichler, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Forages well with
Forage safely. Never eat a wild plant on this site's word alone. Confirm identity with several sources, learn the look-alikes, and when in doubt, leave it in the ground.