Mycelium Munchies

The rest of the menu

Every dish says how it is cooked, which mushrooms are in it, and everything else that is in it too, before you order.

• Shiitake broth with noodles

  simmered · shiitake and enoki

  A dark, clear broth made from dried and fresh shiitake, with noodles, and a nest of enoki dropped in at the end.

  In it: Shiitake, fresh and dried; enoki; wheat noodles; soy sauce, ginger, spring onion and sesame oil.

• Roast maitake

  roasted · maitake

  A whole maitake cluster roasted until the frilled edges crisp and the middle stays tender, pulled apart at the table.

  In it: Maitake; olive oil, salt and lemon; a spoonful of miso butter made with plant butter.

• Blue oyster tacos

  griddled · blue oyster mushroom

  Blue oyster mushrooms griddled flat under a weight until they brown, folded into warm tortillas.

  In it: Blue oyster mushrooms; corn tortillas; cumin, chilli, lime and salt; shredded cabbage and coriander.

• Grilled enoki bundles

  grilled · enoki

  Bundles of enoki tied at the root end and grilled until the tips go crisp.

  In it: Enoki; soy sauce, maple syrup and garlic; a sprinkle of sesame seeds.

• Mushrooms on toast

  fried slowly · button mushroom and chestnut mushroom

  Button and chestnut mushrooms cooked slowly in a wide pan until they give up their water and take colour, piled on toast.

  In it: Button and chestnut mushrooms; plant butter, garlic and parsley; sourdough toast.

• Chestnut mushroom soup

  simmered and blended · chestnut mushroom

  A thick soup of chestnut mushrooms cooked down with onions and blended smooth.

  In it: Chestnut mushrooms; onion, garlic, potato, vegetable stock, thyme and oat cream.

• Pink oyster crisps

  baked · pink oyster mushroom

  Pink oyster mushrooms pressed thin and baked slowly until they snap, which is when they stop being pink.

  In it: Pink oyster mushrooms; olive oil, smoked salt and a little maple syrup.

• Golden oyster stir-fry

  stir-fried · golden oyster mushroom

  Golden oyster mushrooms tossed fast in a very hot pan with greens, over rice.

  In it: Golden oyster mushrooms; pak choi, garlic, ginger and soy sauce; white rice.

• Mushroom skewers

  grilled · king oyster mushroom, shiitake and button mushroom

  Chunks of king oyster, whole shiitake caps and button mushrooms on skewers, grilled and brushed as they go.

  In it: King oyster, shiitake and button mushrooms; olive oil, garlic, smoked paprika, and a lemon to squeeze.

The growing rooms

What is on the shelves, what it looks like on this farm’s shelves, what it is like cooked, and what it grows on. Each one says where you will find it on the menu.

• Grey oyster mushroom

  On the shelf: Soft grey fans growing in overlapping clusters out of the side of their bags, like little shelves.

  Cooked: Tender and a little chewy, and it tears into strips along its gills.

  Grown here on straw. On the menu as Crispy fried oyster mushrooms.

• Pink oyster mushroom

  On the shelf: Fans of a bright, almost unlikely pink, with frilled edges.

  Cooked: Chewier than the grey, and it goes a pale tan when it cooks, which surprises everybody once.

  Grown here on straw. On the menu as Crispy fried oyster mushrooms and Pink oyster crisps.

• Golden oyster mushroom

  On the shelf: Small yellow caps in tight bunches, like a bouquet somebody handed you.

  Cooked: Delicate and nutty, and it cooks in almost no time at all.

  Grown here on hardwood sawdust. On the menu as Crispy fried oyster mushrooms and Golden oyster stir-fry.

• Blue oyster mushroom

  On the shelf: Blue-grey caps when they are young, fading towards grey as they open out.

  Cooked: Firm enough to press flat under a weight and brown hard.

  Grown here on straw. On the menu as Blue oyster tacos.

• King oyster mushroom

  On the shelf: A thick white stem as long as your hand with a small brown cap on top, so nearly all of it is stem.

  Cooked: Dense and meaty, and it holds its shape when it is cut into planks.

  Grown here on sawdust, in bottles. On the menu as Mushroom steaks and Mushroom skewers.

• Lion's mane

  On the shelf: A round white cluster of soft hanging spines, like a pom-pom or a waterfall that stopped.

  Cooked: Soft and stringy the way crab is, and it pulls apart into pieces.

  Grown here on blocks of hardwood sawdust. On the menu as Lion's mane nuggets.

• Shiitake

  On the shelf: Brown caps with pale flecks, on short tough stems that go into the broth rather than the pan.

  Cooked: Rich and savoury, and deeper again once it has been dried.

  Grown here on blocks of hardwood sawdust, and logs. On the menu as Shiitake broth with noodles and Mushroom skewers.

• Maitake

  On the shelf: A frilled grey-brown cluster of overlapping fronds, big enough to need both hands.

  Cooked: Crisp at the edges and tender in the middle when it is roasted whole.

  Grown here on hardwood sawdust. On the menu as Roast maitake.

• Enoki

  On the shelf: Long, thin white stems with tiny caps, packed tight in bundles.

  Cooked: Soft and slippery in a broth, and crisp at the tips on a grill.

  Grown here on bottles, in the dark, which is why it comes out long, thin and white. On the menu as Shiitake broth with noodles and Grilled enoki bundles.

• Button mushroom

  On the shelf: Small, smooth white caps, closed tight underneath.

  Cooked: Mild, and it takes on whatever it is cooked with.

  Grown here on compost. On the menu as Mushrooms on toast and Mushroom skewers.

• Chestnut mushroom

  On the shelf: The same kind of mushroom as the button, in a brown skin, with a firmer bite.

  Cooked: A little deeper in flavour than the white one.

  Grown here on compost. On the menu as Mushrooms on toast and Chestnut mushroom soup.

• Portobello

  On the shelf: The chestnut mushroom again, left to grow until its cap opens as flat and wide as a saucer.

  Cooked: Deep, dark and juicy, and big enough to be a meal on its own.

  Grown here on compost. On the menu as Mushroom steaks.

Watch Derek Sarno cook them

Want to learn how to cook mushrooms? Watch Derek Sarno’s videos. His Mushroom Masterclass playlist is on one press, and nothing loads from YouTube until you press it.

Grow your own

Want to learn how to grow your own mushrooms for cooking? Visit North Spore, who sell mushroom growing kits and supplies and write guides to using them. Their How to Use a Mushroom Fruiting Block Kit is a good place to start. It is a shop, which is unusual for a link on this street: we are not affiliated with North Spore, they do not pay us, and the link carries no code or tracking of any kind.