Sparassis (also known as the Cauliflower Mushroom) is the queen of mushrooms. They grow in isolation at the base of fir or cedar deep in the forest, and a single mushroom is generally anywhere between 12-20 oz, so finding just a single Sparassis guarantees you a wonderful meal. Their flavor is earthy and floral (they smell absolutely amazing), and the texture is of similar consistency to egg noodles. Finding one generally means enduring a long, cold, and wet journey—long after you’ve realized you’ve gone way too far off the trail. In order to reward myself for this hard work, I splurge on some beef tenderloin and make what is essentially beef stroganoff, where the cauliflower mushrooms act as a more flavorful substitute for the noodles.
Even after spending countless hours in the woods, sometimes December hits and I’ve still not run into a single Cauliflower mushroom. Fortunately, Rick’s Mushrooms at the PSU farmers market has a consistent supply of these wonderful mushrooms all season long.
Method
- Process the Sparassis by quartering the entire head, then breaking it apart with your hands, then set aside.
- Boil the cauliflower in 2 cups of the beef broth, then blend to create a cauliflower paste, then set aside.
- Preheat the over to 425, then place the potatoes on a baking sheet and bake for ~20 minutes, or until mostly cooked, then set aside.
- Add the onion and butter to a medium pot and cook until the onions are well cooked, just starting to brown, but not burned. ~10-12 minutes.
- Add the Sparassis and a bit of fresh chopped oregano to the pot with the onion and butter, cook for ~5 minutes, then add ~1/4-1/2 cup of white wine and cook for until it’s at least half evaporated.
- Add the heavy cream and cook for another ~5 minutes.
- Add the cooked potatoes, 1 cup of cauliflower paste, 1 cup of broth to the mushroom mixture. Use the cauliflower paste and broth to balance the sauce to a thick, but fluid consistency.
- In a large cast iron skillet, heat a liberal amount of olive oil to just under its smoking point.
- Graciously salt the sliced tenderloin strips, then add them to the hot oil, and cook them for about ~30 seconds on each side. Depending on the heat and the thickness of your cut, this should take no more than 2 minutes for the tenderloin to be cooked medium-rare.
- Toss in the tenderloin to the mushroom sauce and mix thoroughly.
- Serve the Sparassis-Beef mixture with a pinch of additional chopped oregano.
Sparassis w/ Beef Tenderloin
By: Daniel Lucas
Sparassis (also known as the Cauliflower Mushroom) is the queen of mushrooms. They grow in isolation at the base of fir or cedar deep in the forest, and a single mushroom is generally anywhere between 12-20 oz, so finding just a single Sparassis guarantees you a wonderful meal. Their flavor is earthy and floral (they smell absolutely amazing), and the texture is of similar consistency to egg noodles. Finding one generally means enduring a long, cold, and wet journey—long after you’ve realized you’ve gone way too far off the trail. In order to reward myself for this hard work, I splurge on some beef tenderloin and make what is essentially beef stroganoff, where the cauliflower mushrooms act as a more flavorful substitute for the noodles.
Even after spending countless hours in the woods, sometimes December hits and I’ve still not run into a single Cauliflower mushroom. Fortunately, Rick’s Mushrooms at the PSU farmers market has a consistent supply of these wonderful mushrooms all season long.
Method
- Process the Sparassis by quartering the entire head, then breaking it apart with your hands, then set aside.
- Boil the cauliflower in 2 cups of the beef broth, then blend to create a cauliflower paste, then set aside.
- Preheat the over to 425, then place the potatoes on a baking sheet and bake for ~20 minutes, or until mostly cooked, then set aside.
- Add the onion and butter to a medium pot and cook until the onions are well cooked, just starting to brown, but not burned. ~10-12 minutes.
- Add the Sparassis and a bit of fresh chopped oregano to the pot with the onion and butter, cook for ~5 minutes, then add ~1/4-1/2 cup of white wine and cook for until it’s at least half evaporated.
- Add the heavy cream and cook for another ~5 minutes.
- Add the cooked potatoes, 1 cup of cauliflower paste, 1 cup of broth to the mushroom mixture. Use the cauliflower paste and broth to balance the sauce to a thick, but fluid consistency.
- In a large cast iron skillet, heat a liberal amount of olive oil to just under its smoking point.
- Graciously salt the sliced tenderloin strips, then add them to the hot oil, and cook them for about ~30 seconds on each side. Depending on the heat and the thickness of your cut, this should take no more than 2 minutes for the tenderloin to be cooked medium-rare.
- Toss in the tenderloin to the mushroom sauce and mix thoroughly.
- Serve the Sparassis-Beef mixture with a pinch of additional chopped oregano.