Dryad’s Saddle Mushroom over Rice – Recipe

The Dryad’s saddle or Cerioporus squamosus, formerly known as Polyporus squamosus, are a mushroom with a beautiful pattern on the top of their cap that looks something like pheasant feathers, a visual example of their other common name: “Pheasant Back”. 

You could think of them as a cousin to the chicken of the woods and hen of the woods mushrooms.

Here are a few rice recipes that you can make with Dryad’s saddle mushrooms

We personally find their taste mild, better than some other marginal polypores that people will eat (I’m referring to Berkley’s polypore or the black staining polypore) in the coming summer months, and their texture quite excellent when collected young enough.

A mushroom infused rice meal you can easily prepare in a rice cooker or in one pot on the stove. It is loaded with mushrooms, asparagus, and peas, plus it is easy to make! 

Rice Cooker Mushroom Risotto

Ingredients

• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1/2 large onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1/2 cup dry white wine*
• 1 cup Arborio rice
• 2 cups white mushrooms, sliced (225g)
• 8 spears asparagus, cut into fourths  (about 1 1/4 cups)
• 1/3 cup frozen peas
• 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk (or milk of choice)
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• Black pepper, to taste
• Optional: 1/4 cup vegan Parmesan cheese (we use Follow Your Heart)

Instructions (credit sweetsimplevegan)

1. Open the lid of your rice cooker, set it to “cook” and allow the surface of the rice cooker pot to heat up for a few minutes. Once it has heated, add in 2-3 tablespoons of vegetable broth along with the onion and garlic. Mix, close the lid and cook about 3-4 minutes, or until the onions and garlic have cooked through.
2. Once cooked, pour in the white wine and stir to combine. Close the lid once more and allow it to cook for 3 minutes to allow the alcohol to cook off and the wine to reduce. Carefully open and mix everything around. If it still has not cooked off, cook it for 2 minutes more with the lid open.
3. Add in the rice to the pot and stir to coat the grains of rice. Thoroughly mix and then close the lid for about 3 minutes, or until the rice absorbs most of the liquid.
4. Add in all of the vegetables and stir to combine. If needed, add 2 more tablespoons of vegetable broth so that it does not burn. Close the rice cooker and allow the vegetables to lightly steam, about 4 minutes.
5. Add in all of the remaining vegetable broth along with the almond milk, nutritional yeast and Italian seasoning. Mix until combined and then close the rice cooker. Allow for the risotto to cook for 20-25 more minutes, mixing halfway through. You will know it is ready when the rice is tender and there is a little bit of liquid remaining to make it slightly soupy.
6. Add the parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add parmesan cheese as desired.
7. Serve with a sprinkle more of parsley and parmesan. Enjoy!

Easy Rice Cooker Mushroom Rice Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups long grain rice
• 1 can of Cream of Mushroom condensed soup
• 2 cups of beef broth
• 1 10 oz. can of sliced mushrooms (drained)
• Shredded Parmesan cheese (optional) to garnish

Instructions

1. Add all ingredients to the bowl of your rice cooker except for the Parmesan cheese.
2. Use the “white rice” setting.
3. Serve with shredded Parmesan cheese if desired when ready.

Dryad’s Saddle and Gochujang

Lots and lots of dryad’s saddle polypore (Cerioporus squamosus) are out and at a perfect consumption stage in southern New England right now. Some people accept them as the “consolation prize” for not finding morels, but we argue that since dryad’s are so abundant, why not find tasty ways to use them?