Chicken of the Woods

Wild mushrooms have a special place in my heart. My wild food and foraging journey stemmed from an interest in them before branching out into plants and seaweeds. The 'silent hunt', as Antonio Carluccio so beautifully and aptly put it, is one of my favourite things. To find yourself at ease, wandering and treading gently, on the fringes of or deep within and beneath, the multi-layered, multi-coloured patchwork of woodland canopies, or in ancient meadows, in anticipation of the sometimes elusive, yet always magical and mysterious organisms that comprise the 5th kingdom is a pure delight.

Fungi are truly fascinating, yet the great majority of the uk population have yet to discover just how awesome, intriguing, fascinating and tasty they can be. Most people think the best time of year for finding wild mushrooms is in the 'autumn' and, although there is some truth in this, it's not the whole truth. Spring, summer and winter can prove very fruitful (fung-ful) when it comes to wild mushrooms. One particularly spectacular and tasty fungus to keep your eyes open for during spring and summer is Chicken of the Woods aka Laetiporus sulphureus aka 'what a show off'. It's not so much a case of maintaining a deeply focused and eye-straining vigil because this fungus really does stand out. Its brilliant, bright, eye-catching hues of sulphurous yellow and orange are so striking against the backdrop of woody browns and canopy greens, they literally call out to you.

Habitat
Chickens are most commonly found growing on Oak trees, they just seem to love them. They can also be found growing on; Sweet Chestnut, Pine, Cherry, Willow and Yew, though much less frequently so. Next time you find yourself in the presence of these trees, it's worthwhile stopping for a few moments to have a good gander all the way around and up and down the tree: you may just be lucky and spot an emerging chicken. They are most commonly found in Spring, Summer & Autumn.

Identification
Quite possibly one of the easiest of all wild fungi to identify.
Most identification guides will show images of a well developed chicken (see image at top of article), rarely showing them in their emerging/developing stage.

• In their infancy they are globular, looking similar to blobs of breeze-block foam (see image on right) 
• On maturing they spread out and develop into brackets or 'shelves'. 
• Mature specimens feature radiating bands of yellows and oranges (see image at top of page). 
• The underside is a lighter yellow and more uniformed in colour
•  Instead of gills, they have pores or tubes: a tell-tale feature of all polypores/bracket fungi. 
• The inner flesh is a paler yellow/orange than the outer and turns white, chalky and brittle with age. 
• white spores

Edible?
Chicken of the Woods (Laetiporus suphureus) is edible and tasty. That said, some individuals experience adverse reactions after eating it. The range of symptoms can include: general nausea, grumbly tummy, projectile vomiting, diarrhea, sweats and a feeling of lethargy - such symptoms were reported to me by several friends who all experienced either one or more of the above in 2018. All had eaten CotW previously and without experiencing negative symptoms. If you're tempted to try, here are some general guidelines to help reduce the risks:

•  consume a small amount only if trying for the first time
• COTW contain thermolabile compounds which are destroyed by heat, so ensure you cook thoroughly prior to eating  
• only eat fresh, moist, young chickens: the outer sections being the most tender
• do not consume if the flesh is white, chalky and crumbly (signs of ageing)
•  blanch briefly in boiling water prior to cooking, especially if cooking large pieces such as in the form of nuggets
• avoid eating if growing on Yew tree

I've been eating CotW since first finding one back in 2009, and have never experienced any adverse reactions to date, long may this continue...

Chicken of the Woods vs Yew Tree

It has been claimed that eating Cotw growing from Yew trees will lead to imminent poisoning, with the most extreme outcome being the potential fatality of the consumer. From what I can ascertain, there have been zero deaths officially attributed in this regard. It is important to note that Yew tree's do contain a particular set of toxic alkaloids called taxines, and it's reported that the consumption of 50g of Yew needles/bark is enough to trigger a fatal reaction: hence why it's wise to know your trees. It's reported that CotW mycelium somehow renders taxines inert - whereas this may be true, I find plenty CotW growing on other tree species, so generally avoid eating those growing on Yew.

Cooking with Chicken of the Woods

Cooking is essential and my preferred method is to fry or saute. 

• If using in ravioli I always chop into tiny pieces and gently fry in a little oil and lots of butter for at least 10 minutes. 
• If making 'chicken nuggets' I always blanch briefly in salted boiling water for 2 or 3 minutes before draining, patting dry and then coating with flour, egg and breadcrumbs, before deep frying until crisp and golden: part of the trick here is to not cut into such large chunks. The larger the cube, the longer the cooking time.
• If bbq'ing, I slice into thin sections and blanch for no more than 30 seconds prior to cooking and I'll brush the slices with a sticky, fruity, spicy sauce before putting on the bbq
• I've dehydrated and powdered this fungus before and, to be honest, I'd rather eat it fresh (there are more flavoursome fungi for dehydrating and/or powdering)
• Chickens respond well to being gently cold smoked - I like to smoke over Oak or Cherry
• Majority of findings are on Oak tree's and what grow's together, goes together. Acorn Tortilla's or Taco's with a nicely spiced, smoked and 'pulled' chicken is a great dish to create and eat! 

Harvesting: How much should I pick?

I find this particular topic very interesting and a potential catalyst for great, in-depth discussion and deeper thought and, although there are no hard and fast rules, there is a general code of conduct underpinned by a mindful, considerate and sensible approach.

Wild plants, fungi and seaweeds have been widely gathered for food since time immemorial and humans knew they shared these resources with the wider, web of life. Some us still know this, others, unfortunately, have yet to realise this. Selfishness, wilful damage and uncaring attitudes are the total antithesis of what foraging is about, in fact, it's the antithesis of what humans are about.

With regards to the harvesting of wild mushrooms, it's sensible to leave some to mature. Once mature they will develop and distribute spores: spores are similar to 'seeds' and is the natural way of generating new mushroom colonies. Spores give rise to mushroom babies.

Aside from leaving some to spore, it's nice to leave some for others to find and it's not only animals that benefit from fungi, various species of insect depend on wild fungi as; 

• nurseries for rearing insect larvae, which in turn become food for other creatures such as birds and mammals
• as a source of food
• as shelter
• as medicine

I also feel it's important to leave some behind because humans do not know everything. For all we know there may be other important processes going on at a level most humans simply haven't learnt about or comprehended yet.

So, the next time you head into your locals woods for stroll, be sure to look up...

Images of some very high-altitude chickens and the harvesting of them...

What's that there atop the tree?
It's a woodland chicken, gazing down at me.
How on earth will I get up there?
A friend with climbing ropes, willing and dare...

    

Before closing this article up, I'd like to share one more lovely nugget (no pun intended) regarding Chicken of the Woods...

Inspired by my friend and foraging tutor, Rachel Lambert, I devised a little song a few ago (2021). Rachel loves to sing about wild plants, which is a great way to assist with our remembering and id'ing of wild plants/fungi/seaweed. Here is my CotW offering, which I like to sing with a particular voice: perhaps I need to record this song?

🎶 I am a Chicken of the Woods (la de da da) 🎶

🎶 If you've not eaten me you should (la de da da) 🎶

🎶 With sulphurous orange flesh and yellow (la de da da)🎶

🎶 Taste wise I'm shroomy, sweet and mellow (la de da da)🎶