Lion’s Mane ‘Crab’ Cake
Lion’s mane is unlike most cap and stem mushrooms, the shape is sculptural with pearly white spindles that cascade from a bulbous form. Overstory Farm cultivates this mushroom in our Vermont forest farm. They are known for their highly medicinal value and are considered a superfood. As a culinary mushroom, the flavor has subtle hints of seafood with a meaty texture that is easy to pull apart. Our favorite recipe is a delicious lion’s mane mushroom ‘crab’ cake!
There is no crab in this recipe. Instead, mushrooms are substituted for the crab as a healthy, vegetarian meal (or appetizer)!
However, you don’t need lion’s mane to make this recipe. We’ve cooked mushroom cakes with shiitakes and blue oysters and find them just as tasty.
Tips for Cooking with Lion’s Mane Mushrooms
Our farm grows high quality lion’s mane outdoors on hardwoods logs. Lion’s mane is extremely porous and can easily be dry brushed to clean or run it under water and squeeze it like a sponge to remove any debris.
Start by pulling apart the mushrooms into pieces or use a scissors to cut.
Mushroom ‘Crab’ Cake Recipe
makes 5 large or 10 small cakes
Mushroom cakes:
½ pound Fresh Mushrooms (Lion's Mane, Shiitake, or Blue Oyster are recommended)
1 medium onion
2-3 cloves of garlic
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 Tablespoon plain yogurt or mayonnaise
1 cup bread crumbs (or ground corn meal for a gluten free option)
1 egg
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Fresh chives (optional)
Salt to taste
High heat oil for cooking cakes
Sauce:
¼ cup plain yogurt
½ teaspoon paprika
1 Tablespoon grainy mustard
Hot sauce, to taste (optional)
Salt to taste
Clean mushrooms and cut (or pull apart) into medium size pieces. If using shiitake mushrooms, use the caps only. On the stovetop, heat olive oil in a sauté pan over medium/low heat and cook garlic and chopped onion for 3-5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook for another 10-15 minutes, making sure the mushrooms and onions remain soft. Season the mixture with ½ teaspoon of salt as it cooks. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
Place the cooked mushroom mixture in a food processor and pulse 4-5 times until mushrooms are broken down.
Add the egg, yogurt (or mayo), lemon juice, and chives (if using) and salt to taste. Pulse mixture to combine, adding bread crumbs last. Remove the mixture and stir together until completely combined. Hands work great for this!
Measure equal portions of crab cakes into your size of choice. Roll into balls and pat down into flat cakes.
Heat a half inch of oil in a non-stick pan on medium heat and fry until lightly browned on both sides. Lay out on a paper towel to soak up excess oil. Lightly sprinkle with salt to taste.
While the mushroom cakes are cooking, whisk together all ingredients for the sauce.
Serving:
Serve each cake with a dollop of sauce. For a beautiful and tasty display, top with Overstory Farm’s pickled fiddleheads (optional). Enjoy!