Tag Archive for: hen of the woods

Hen of the woods salad in a bowl

Hen of the Woods Salad

/in /by

My kind of Oasis. Went to Joshua Tree last week (it’s another planet!) and in a search for interesting food finds we tripped upon La Copine. So picture this: Middle of the Mojave high desert, driving through a town of less than 3,000 people, and out pops this diner on the side of the highway serving mind blowing food that…well…seemingly has no business being there at all. Proprietors and spouses, Nikki and Claire rock this place. It was SPECTACULAR.

Pictured is the Hen of the woods salad with a warm sherry vinaigrette I tried to recreate. The coolest part was the way the ricotta was presented. Spread on the side of the bowl like a brush of paint. Made it easy to grab a little with your fork for each bite. Not sure how close this is but it is damn good (serves four):

Hen of the Woods Salad

Vibrant salad with a warm sherry viniagrette

Warm Sherry Dressing

  • 3 TBS Sherry Vinegar
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp honey
  • 1 small shallot (finely diced)
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • salt and pepper

Salad

  • 1 bunch escarole ((3 cups, torn))
  • 1 bunch asparagus (trimmed and blanched, cut into 1” pieces)
  • 2-3 cups Hen of the woods mushrooms (pulled apart to 1-2” pieces (also called Maitake))
  • Fresh thyme
  • Ricotta
  • 1-2 TBS ghee (or butter)
  • Toasted rye bread crumbs
  • Salt and pepper
  • Chopped parsley

  1. Sauté the shallots in a little olive oil over medium heat until transparent. Take off heat and whisk in sherry vinegar, mustard, honey and a pinch of salt and pepper. Whisk in olive oil to emulsify.

  2.  Heat ghee over medium-high heat and add mushrooms, thyme and salt an pepper. Let mushrooms caramelize, stirring occasionally until just cooked through.

  3. Re-warm the dressing over medium heat to a simmer.

  4. In individual serving bowls paint a big scoop of ricotta (1/4 cup or so) on the inside using the back of the spoon.

  5. In a large bowl, tear the escarole into bite size pieces. Add the asparagus, mushrooms, a pinch of salt and fresh pepper.

  6. Pour the warm dressing over the salad and toss to combine. Divide between bowls and top with breadcrumbs, and parsley.