This is the third article in a series of interviews and conversations between North Spore co-founder, Matt McInnis, and cookbook author and wild foods expert, Hank Shaw. Hank is the James Beard Award winning author of multiple cookbooks and the proprietor and writer for the food website, Hunt Gather Cook. First, we covered some basics in wild foods, then dove into the world of mushrooms and fish pairings. In this article, we’re talking holiday cooking.
Matt: Greetings from a chilly Maine. How's your fall shaping up? I know that you’re still settling into life in the midwest after living in California for years.
Hank: Things are slowing down, finally. I am loving the radical shift in season and activity that living in a higher latitude demands. In California, life was fairly even throughout the year. Here, we’re entering our slower, cozier season and I like that.
Matt: I start to cook with a lot more mushrooms when that slower, cozier season begins. Have you had a chance to do any mushroom or wildfoods gathering recently? Was the foraging season good in your neck of the woods?
Hank: My foraging year was great, until about Labor Day. We went from one of the rainiest years in state history to a drought that lasted until Halloween. So the fall mushrooming was thin, although I did find a few nice hen of the woods. We’re hoping this last shot of rain might bring late season mushrooms, like brick caps, elm oysters, and blewits.
Matt: Our season was a little ho-hum too, definitely time to start checking my blewit beds. What mushroomy meals are catching your attention for the fall and early winter?
Hank: Since it’s finally chilly, I am drawn to heartier mushroom dishes, which is good because by nature, most mushrooms are hearty. Most of my recipes work in this weather, but the special one for the holidays is always my mushroom stuffing featuring wild chanterelle mushrooms.
Matt: I’ll definitely be making that stuffing this year. When you think of holiday meals, appetizers, what mushrooms are you thinking of? Do you have any other recipes of note?
Wild Mushroom Stuffing
(Photo by Holly A. Heyser)
Mushroom Tart
(Photo by Holly A. Heyser)
Hank: I mean, lots. Other than that stuffing, mushroom gravy, mushroom sauce for steaks and roasts with porcini, creamy mushrooms on toast with morels is a great appetizer, and while I haven’t done it in ages, using dried candy cap mushrooms in creamy desserts like a panna cotta adds a rich, maple flavor to the dish.
In terms of specific mushrooms, a great many are interchangeable. That’s the beauty of mushrooms: It’s not like they all taste the same, but in most cases, their differences aren’t so radical that you can’t just use what you have. You do have a few lighter in flavor, like lion’s mane, which can sub in for crab in, say, a Christmas Eve dinner.
Matt: Candy cap panna cotta sounds incredible. I think mushrooms may become more commonly used ingredients for desserts - Danielle Prewetts’s new cookbook, Wild + Whole, even has a chocolate-porcini pot de crème and Turnip Vegan recently made chaga ice cream!
For Thanksgiving in particular, what are you cooking this year with mushrooms? Do you have any Christmas or Hanukkah recipes?
Hank: Definitely that stuffing for Thanksgiving, and maybe Christmas, too. I add mushrooms to my wild rice salad that I like to serve on Thanksgiving, and a mushroom tart is a great starter for either holiday.
Garlic roasted mushrooms is a good side dish for any holiday,
A mushroom frittata is a great holiday breakfast because it’s easy to put together, and serves a crowd.
Matt: I’m all about the mushroom tart for the holidays, I’m particularly partial for my neighbor’s uncle’s recipe we wrote about a few years ago. Are there any special considerations for home cooks using mushrooms around the holidays? Any kitchen faux pas or missteps to be aware of? Are there any unique opportunities to show off?
Hank: Not especially, but remember the holidays aren't a great time to try new dishes. So if you’re going to try a new dish, make it beforehand so you can tinker with it before the big day. You want holiday cooking to be smooth and as relaxed as possible – not like that awful episode of The Bear, which gives me PTSD.
Matt: That episode still haunts me. What about New Year's Eve celebrations? Are there any mushroom dishes that go well with champagne?
Hank: Fancy ones! The mushroom tart is a great, light New Year’s Eve dish, as are creamy mushrooms on toast for little passed apps. Think easy to eat, elegant and portable. If you want to wow your date or guests, mushroom ravioli is a winner.
Matt: And finally, do you have any new year's resolutions or hopes for 2025?
Hank: I do. I’d love to expand my mushroom hunting skills here in the Midwest, and to cook new varieties I’ve heard of, but not yet tried, like beefsteak mushrooms or brick caps or indigo milk caps. Mushrooming is such a fun pursuit because you can do it for decades, yet still learn new things each year.
Matt: Hank, it’s been a pleasure as always! Here’s to a great holiday season and a bountiful 2025!
Mushroom Sauce for Steak
(Photo by Holly A. Heyser)