Dryad's Saddle (Mushroom)

Cerioporus squamosus, aka 'Dryad's Saddle/Pheasant Back Mushroom' is a widespread, easy-to-identify mushroom in the wild, with a creamy, porous under side and a decorative, pheasant-feathered top. The sheer size, growth habit and shape of this mushroom, when mature, do invite the conclusion they're intended to be seats for forest-dwelling spirits, hence the common name!

Fresh Dryad' Saddles have a watermelon aroma, which typically fades during processing, with a white meat flavour and texture which makes it an excellent substitute for pork or chicken in any recipe. Palm sized whole mushrooms can serve as entire chicken portions or pork chops, with smaller pieces used to replace nuggets, strips and medallions of meat.

Something in the flavour profile does lend itself better to asian-style seasoning, but we've also heard of these mushrooms being prepared in syrup for a sweet treat! Dryad's Saddle, with its otherworldly qualities, certainly invites experimentation.