Lions Mane Mushrooms. What are they? They are a white, bulbous looking mushroom, between the size of a golf and tennis ball with a meaty neutral flavour. They can be torn up to make ‘crab’ cakes, sautéed and baked to make ‘steaks’ or simmered in broth for a side dish. Incredibly versatile, they provide a substantial addition to any meal.

Tonight I tried making steaks. I watched a youtube video of a chef cooking steaks and copied his technique. I did not cook them long enough on the stove top so I ended up baking them longer. Next time I will increase the stove top cooking and decrease the oven time.

The basic technique is to use a cast iron pan or grill on the stove top and a cast iron pan or any other very heavy pan to place on top of the mushrooms while they cook to press the mushrooms, flattening them out and releasing their juice.

I used a bit of olive oil but next time I will not. The mushrooms release their own juices and the point is to sear each side of the mushroom which it does nicely without the oil. I used a dry spice mix and a marinade.

Preheat oven to 200c.

Heat a cast iron pan or grill on the stove top to a medium heat. Place the lions mane mushrooms on the pan. With another cast iron flat bottomed pan, press down on each mushroom for a couple of minutes. Allow to cook for about 10 minutes pressing down on each mushroom with the second pan. After about 3 minutes spoon some marinade on each mushroom with a sprinkle of your dry rub. After about 10 minutes turn each mushroom over. The bottom side should be a dark, rich brown but not black or burnt! Repeat by pressing down on each mushroom with the second pan and spooning some marinade and dry rub on each mushroom. Cook until the bottom side is a dark, rich brown. Turn mushrooms over.

Place pan or grill in the oven for 10 minutes.

Take out the mushrooms and slice in strips.

Serve with chips, vegetable side dishes or salad.