Totally underrated.Most people serve as a side dish, with or without a sauce.
I think it is a star ingredient to be savored alone. Sliced, sautéed in brown butter and served in the pan, with no other embellishment than salt and pepper. And then finished with a small pat of fresh butter.
It needs to be served piping hot, which is why I eat straight from the pan. For me, the best mushroom out there, silky on the palate, a huge punch of flavor. And, although not particularly dietetic thanks to the butter, it is certainly worth the calories.
You poor tenderfoot in the world of mycology. Button mushrooms, crimini mushrooms, baby bella, and portobellos, are all the exact same species of mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus), and while they are all good as long as you sear them and don’t boil them in their own juices, they are the bottom of the mycology deliciousness scale. Go find a dying oak tree and look around the bottom and get some maitake right now. Do this with them:
I did find three giant puffballs last week too. They aren’t that delicious (very similar in taste to button mushrooms), but the size does make them a novelty.
I am a mere peasant as far as mushrooms are concerned, but not an ignorant one. My European mother used to take us mushroom hunting in Cobham, Surrey, where the only competition for chanterelle, ceps etc were other expatriates from Germany, Austria and Poland. Last time I went back there, it was swarming with Brits, and we barely found enough to cook that night. But in the good old days, there was enough for several days. We brought them back and feasted on them. Again simple preparation with the unnecessary addition of parsley.
But…I like Criminis; the texture is more inviting than it’s kin, and the flavors a tad stronger. I also am fond of fresh morels, and enjoy the dried ones. Chanterelles always strike me as insipid, as does hen of the woods.
No real experience with Maitake; always served with something in sauce, so can’t say I really know it.
I love maitake, but I agree with Mark that “crimini” are pretty damn good. Maitake have better texture, but frankly less interesting flavor. I sautee crimini all the time, though I like the addition of thinly slice onions. But nothing compares to Porcini!
