Recipe: Puffball Panang Curry
Fall mushroom season is officially upon us! A wide variety of wild edible fungi are fruiting right now across New England, including one of my favorites – the Giant Puffball.
Giant Puffballs range from fist-size to soccer-ball-size, making them one of the easiest mushrooms to identify. With no poisonous look-alikes, they are most often mistaken for a forgotten softball or volleyball.
Their white color makes them stand out in fields, pastures, and hillsides. With age, their smooth spherical surface becomes cracked, often creating a crater-like pattern reminiscent of the moon.
How To Know If A Puffball Is Prime For Consumption
As with all puffballs, the flesh should be pure white throughout when sliced. Any that show slight yellow to green or light
brown flesh should be discarded or left to continue sporing out. To best enjoy them, make sure to peel off the outer layer of “skin” before cooking.
Giant Puffballs in particular make an excellent bread substitute, perfect for the classic “puffball pizza preparation.” Their flavor and texture is very similar to eggs or tofu. Last September was an epically good month for puffballs and after eating so many coated in tomato sauce, shredded cheese and various toppings, I looked for new recipes to try. That’s when my partner Lauren suggested a curry.
Because puffballs eagerly soak up sauce, this seemed like an excellent application. The results were a symphony of bold and delicious flavors. The recipe can be used for any variety of edible puffballs and is easily adjusted based on your favorite veggies and your heat tolerance.
Ingredients:
11/2–2 pounds halved (1/2 inch thick) small
puffballs or chopped (1/2 inch thick) giant
puffballs
1 onion, chopped
1–2 red and/or green bell peppers, chopped
Splash of vegetable oil
Half a packet red or yellow Panang curry
seasoning
1 can (13.5 ounces) coconut milk
Splash of fish sauce
1/2 cup soup stock or broth (chicken, beef, or vegetable)
1 head broccoli, cut into florets
6 ounces snap peas
Cilantro, finely chopped
Instructions:
- Sauté the mushrooms, onions, and peppers at medium heat in a wok or sauté pan with a splash of vegetable oil for 5–7 minutes.
- In a pot, combine curry packet with coconut milk, a splash of fish sauce, and stock/broth of your choosing. Bring contents to a simmer.
- Chop broccoli and de-string snap peas, then place in the sauté pan along with the mushrooms, onions, and peppers. Cook on medium for 5–7 minutes.
- Once pot is simmering, slowly ladle broth mix into wok or sauté pan to cover contents. Cook for 4–5 minutes for a crunchier curry or 12–15 minutes for a more stew-like version.
- Top with finely chopped cilantro and serve over rice. You won’t be disappointed, I promise!
Looking to forage and feast?? Join me this Saturday in Waltham, MA for my monthly forage and wild food picnic, which will feature numerous fall mushroom dishes – from bolete mushrooms on toast, beefsteak polypore gravy atop pork tenderloin, and pickled chicken of the woods, to mushroom jerky and more!
Can’t make it this month? Come out to the season’s last forage and wild food picnic on October 24 in Lynn!
Happy foraging friends!
