Exeter’s Vino e Vivo chef finds giant polypore mushroom in Brentwood
EXETER — Chef Paul Callahan has been mushroom hunting for years, but was still shocked by the size of a polypore mushroom he found in Brentwood this fall.
Callahan, the executive chef of Vino e Vivo in Exeter, took his young son and daughter for a walk past a beaver pond where he had previously seen the fungus.
“There was a stone wall next to some pine trees, and I happened to look over it and saw it,” he said. He left the mushroom there that first day. He knew from his past that the polypore was good for soups, broths and sautéing.
“I knew it would take a little longer to get ready for me to pick, but when I went out to check it out, it had just exploded, it was huge,” he said.
Normally, a mushroom that size might not be tasty to eat because it has become bitter, he said. But when he tasted a piece, it was still good. He took it to the kitchen at Vino e Vivo and created a small plate of mushroom tempura with a tzatziki of black garlic and tomatoes.
“It was just about the texture of the mushroom and the shape. It lent itself to being used in a tempura,” he said.
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Callahan began foraging with some chef friends about six years ago to find various ingredients for the kitchen that he couldn’t just order. He talked to humans to learn how to forage properly and safely, and began to make it a habit.
“A lot of the other mushrooms can be grown indoors, some can’t, others you have to find in the wild,” he explained. “There is a sister species, the black coloring polypore, which is very useful in pasta; it is like the squid ink of the mushroom world and colors the paste in the same way.”
Another favorite is the forest shrimp and lobster mushrooms, which are very unique. “Lobster mushrooms are mushrooms that have been parasitized by a fungus that basically transforms them into a new mushroom that is edible and tastes like lobster,” he said.
Callahan’s advice for mushroom hunting and more, plus pairing with wine
Foraging for mushrooms takes time to learn and know what to look for in the woods.
“It depends on what trees are nearby. If you’re looking for a certain type of mushroom, you can also look for a certain type of tree,” he said. “For example, hen of the woods (mushrooms) grow through oaks.”
And it’s not all about mushrooms when Callahan heads into the woods. It also looks for ramps, wild garlic, and even wild blueberries. But finding certain elusive mushrooms is a thrill. “There’s nothing like finding a bunch of mushrooms in a certain area, like a black trumpet, because you can’t really see them until you start looking,” he said. “But if you’re interested in foraging, you have to be careful what you choose and start with someone experienced.”
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Adding pickled mushrooms to dishes he creates is just another way Callahan finds to help his diners broaden their palates. The taste of store-bought mushrooms can’t even be compared to wild mushrooms, he said.
“The wild ones, the good ones, are earthy, gross, and have a much better texture and meaty taste,” he said. “They are much tastier and have a really nice aroma.”
At Vino e Vivo, where pairing wine and food is a specialty, mushrooms are a natural addition to the menu.
“Wine and mushrooms go hand in hand,” he said. “Chicken of the woods would be a light wine, chanterelles would go well, perhaps with a rose, while morels or hen of the woods would go well with a red wine.”