Have you ever tried the Hedgehog Mushroom? The hedgehog mushroom is has a sweet and nutty taste with a crunchy texture. A quick trip in the sauté pan makes these a great meaty addition to any salad.

In November we had our annual corporate weekend where the bosses pay for a little one night weekend getaway in the country…as long as we endure the 2 hour long annual meeting. It’s actually not that bad. This year we were in Saint-Sauveur, a tourist ski Mecca. The fancy hotel was located right across the street from a shopping center. In this outlet mall there is a food store I absolutely adore. It is not fancy and set up like a warehouse but there is one beautiful jewel spot in there: a walking 3-aisle cheese refrigerated room. O-M-G! That will be another post one day. But I also made a new discovery: the Hedgehog Mushroom.

Hedgehog Mushroom

They usually have a few exotic veggies and fruits. I already posted about the Salsify and the Topinambour. One remaining discovery is reveathat I am finally posting today.The mushroom was called in French on the package: Champignon Pied de Mouton. The word for word translation would be Sheep’s Foot Mushroom.

But after some research online that is not the English name, the right name is Hedgehog Mushroom. Now here is the really funny bit. A few days prior to the discovery of this Hedgehog Mushroom I did a favor for a friend who need to have someone drive her 45 minutes out of town to pick up her new pet…a hedgehog. Can you believe the coincidence?

Hedgehog Mushroom

About the Hedgehog Mushroom

A little Hedgehog Mushroom wiki: from the Hydnaceae family, it is notable for its spore-bearing structures which are shaped like teeth rather than gills. It is broadly distributed in North America and Europe and found singly or in groups in coniferous or deciduous woodland.

I wanted a recipe that would showcase the flavor of the mushroom and settled on this recipe. The light bitterness of the kale was a perfect match for the sweet and nutty taste of this crunchy mushroom. And everything remained a bit crisp and not over cooked.

What do you do when you are really not in the mood to cook?

Hedgehog Mushroom

Kale & Hedgehog Mushroom

Matthew at marxfood.com
Course Salads & Soups
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • 2 bunches of kale
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 lb fresh hedgehog mushrooms or any other variety of wild mushroom
  • unsalted butter
  • olive oil
  • salt and fresh cracked pepper

Instructions
 

  • Rough chop the hedgehogs and saute them in butter with a little olive oil.
  • Wash and rough chop the kale.
  • When the hedgehogs take on color and become tender, add the kale and lemon juice. Continue to saute just until the kale has wilted.
  • Add a tablespoon or two of butter and toss before serving. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and fresh cracked pepper.