We’ve curated 5 of the best holiday mushroom recipes so that you can spice up your holidays and get yourself some much needed Vitamin D. If you’re a mushroom enthusiast, there’s a good chance that you have too many mushrooms. Whether from your autumn foraging or because you took one of our mushroom cultivation courses, you now have more mushrooms than you know what to do with. The good news is that the holidays are approaching and we’ve compiled a list of delicious recipes to help you incorporate fungi in your holiday cooking.
1. Creamy Mushroom Feuilletés (aka mushroom pastries)
The first holiday mushroom recipe on our list is a classic side dish that, while requiring a bit of effort, is extraordinarily delicious and sure to wow your guests. While there are thousands of recipes out there for mushroom pastries, this one by Acquiesce Vineyards yields stellar results. Instructions for the recipe itself are available on their website, but they do not specify which mushrooms to use. The dish is meant to be delicate yet earthy and creamy; using ingredients like tarragon, shallots, and cognac. Therefore, try to use mushrooms that fit this flavor profile such as freshly foraged porcini (King Bolete), chanterelles or cultivated Wine Cap mushrooms.
2. Sweet and Savory Twist: Mushroom Jam
We’ve all seen it before; ridiculously overpriced tinned onion jellies and jams meant to accompany charcuterie boards, but wind up getting moldy in the back of the fridge after being neglected at a dinner party. Well the food bloggers over at Flamingo Musings have a tasty recipe for a sweet and savory mushroom jam that goes well with virtually anything; not just charcuterie. The jam does keep relatively well when refrigerated, is free of additives and preservatives, and goes extremely well with burgers. Their recipe specifies using Oyster mushrooms, but we would actually recommend lions mane or, again, the Wine Cap Mushroom. These mushrooms caramelize better than oysters and will be less tough.
3. Time-Tested Flavor: Mushroom Ketchup
Mushroom Ketchup? What?
That’s right, you can turn your cultivated mushrooms into mushroom ketchup, a condiment that’s been around for far longer than actual ketchup and bears little resemblance to the red syrup we put on our fries today. This recipe comes from Townsends and Sons, a YouTube channel dedicated to preserving historical North American recipes in a sort of video-graphic archive. While the recipe provided is from the 18th century, no ancient equipment is needed to make mushroom ketchup. Townsends recommends using common brown mushrooms, but all you need is a large amount whatever variety of freshly cultivated edible mushrooms you’re familiar with. Our pick? Shiitake. It comes with a sizeable flavour to gram ratio. The end result is a sauce similar to Worcestershire sauce, but with a more notable earthiness that goes fantastic with roasted meats, mashed potatoes, and any savory pie or pastry (including the Mushroom Feuilletés mentioned above!).
Note: You can dry the residual mushroom bits left over after this recipe and blend them in a spice grinder for a delicious mushroom seasoning. That’s a bonus holiday mushroom recipe right there!
4. Holiday Essential: Foraged Mushroom Turkey Gravy Recipe
Gravy is an essential part of the holidays. It’s not even negotiable. A good gravy will salvage (almost) any overdone roast turkey and will absolutely resurrect a side of bland mashed potatoes. That’s why this recipe by chef George Stella on the Food Network is our go-to for making a fantastic holiday turkey gravy. The recipe itself calls for a copious amount of shiitake mushrooms, but you could very well substitute them for re-hydrated mushrooms that were foraged and dried for storage.
5. Cozy Up with Flavor: Wild Mushroom Hot Cocoa
You can’t have a mushroom holiday recipes article without mentioning famous cocoa! Nothing says “holidays” much like a good cup of hot cocoa to warm up after a day in the snow; that’s why this recipe by Willow Moon of CreateMindfully is our pick for a mushroom inspired festive drink. Cocoa has a naturally earthy flavor profile that pairs well with mushroom powders made from ground up foraged or cultivated mushrooms; your choice. Mushrooms aren’t just for savory dishes. Mushroom hot chocolate is a great way to include the health benefits of fungi into a fun treat. Kids will love it because it’s chocolate; adults will love it because it’s healthy, easy to make, and chocolate.
Need more mushroom recipes? Or prefer to follow-along with a video? Think Fungi has a YouTube playlist of mushroom recipes. We’ll be happy to continue giving you inspiration. Check out our YouTube playlist.
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