Lobsters by Sea, and Also By Land...

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The Pacific Northwest is a magical place. It’s a place where pools of sapphire blue are tucked amongst black lava flows, where lakes freeze so clearly you can still see fish swimming underneath, where lobsters live tucked underneath soft clumps of moss...wait, what? 

I’m talking about lobster mushrooms, hypomyces lactifluorum. These bright orange wonders smell gently of seafood, and are actually the combination of a parasitic fungus growing on a specific host mushroom. It doesn’t take much of an imagination to understand where they got their name - both the striking orange color of their flesh and the subtle but pleasant scent are reminiscent of their sea-borne inspiration. 

They begin as an inedible milk cap or russula mushroom that is then infected and covered with the fungal counterpoint, making them both unidentifiable and delicious. The texture shifts from soft and fleshy to firm and dense as the flavor deepens to nutty, floral, and/or briny. The fungus forces the mushrooms to curl into unusual forms and twisted shapes, making them appear as if they are from another planet. 

Hunting lobsters is great fun, since you can often spot them from great distances due to their caution-orange coloration, which pops against the mossy greens and dark browns of the forest floor. Sometimes I’ll stumble across one pushing up through the duff and creating a strange little mound… as soon as I spy the orange inside, my heart skips a beat and I start digging. 

Lobster mushrooms have a wonderfully unique firm texture even after being cooked, slightly nutty. They’re fantastic for adding both flavor and texture to many dishes, especially pasta! They do tend to deteriorate quickly, so they should be cooked soon after harvest (and still feel dense and heavy without any strong fishy or unpleasant odors) or dried and reconstituted later. Like any other foods, intolerances and allergies do exist. Always try just a little bit of a new fungus or plant to see how you react before eating a full meal. 

This “Double Lobsta Pasta” is rich and decadent, but still full of lots of zest and flavor! The pasta sauce is a smoked red pepper cream sauce, flecked with little pieces of oyster mushrooms and shallots that have been cooked in wild bay butter. You’ll love the bright orange color of the pasta sauce and just how easy it is to bring together, not to mention the silky texture that perfectly coats pasta and the bright, smoky flavor. Serving it with a sea-lobster tail is totally optional, but totally fun. The pasta and lobster play off each other in a wonderful way, both in flavor and presentation! Serves 4

Ingredients: 

1 oz dried lobster mushrooms

1 ½  c. seafood stock

2 Tbs. butter

1 bay leaf

2 shallots 

Dash of sherry, optional 

8 oz dried pasta shells 

3 Tbs. butter

5 cloves garlic, minced

¼ c. flour

½ c. heavy cream

1 tsp. Dried yarrow

3 Tbs. tomato paste

1 16oz jar of roasted bell peppers, blotted dry

1 tsp. Smoked paprika

1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce

4 fresh lobster tails (optional) 

Directions: 

1. Heat the seafood broth until boiling in a small saucepan, then turn off the heat and add the dried lobster mushrooms. Let them soak for 20 minutes to reconstitute

2. Strain the lobster mushroom mixture, reserving both mushrooms and stock. Finely chop the lobster mushrooms and the shallots. 

3. Bring a large pot of water to boil and salt it well. Once boiling, add the pasta and cook until al dente, then strain. 

4. While the pasta is cooking, heat a medium frying pan or cast iron skillet over medium heat, then add 2 Tbs. butter and the bay leaf. Add the shallots and chopped lobster mushrooms and saute until the shallots are translucent. At that point, add a little splash of sherry and stir, letting most of it evaporate. Set the mixture aside. 

5. Meanwhile, heat the 4 Tbs. butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until just fragrant. Pour out 1 Tbs. of the butter garlic mixture and set aside, then put the pan back over the heat. 

6. Sprinkle the flour over the hot butter and whisk vigorously as you do. Cook until the flour has just slightly browned, then pour in the cream slowly as you continue to whisk vigorously. (At this point the mixture may start to look lumpy and separated - that’s okay, just keep on whisking!) 

7. Add the leftover seafood broth in a slow stream as you whisk the sauce. Keep whisking until it is smooth and slightly thick. Remove from heat and pour into a blender. 

8. Add the dried yarrow, tomato paste, roasted bell peppers, smoked paprika, and tomato sauce to the blender and blend until you have a smooth, silky sauce. (tip: right now is a good time to get the lobster tails going, next step.) Add the blended sauce back to the saucepan and add in the cooked mushrooms and shallots (remove the bay leaf), then add the strained cooked pasta. Heat over med-low heat until everything is warmed through, then serve hot. 

9. To cook the lobster tails, set your oven to “broil- high” and place an oven rack in the top ⅓ of the oven. Cut down the top center of the tails with kitchen shears, being careful not to cut into the meat of the lobster, and stop before you reach the tail. Gently crack the tail open (but do not crack it so it breaks.) Slide your fingers under the meat and pull it up over the top of the shell so it sits on top. Coat both sides in the reserved garlic butter and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and paprika. Broil for 8-10 minutes (depending on the size of your lobster tails), or until the flesh is opaque and lightly browned and the shell has turned a bright orange-red. Serve hot, with extra butter and lemon.

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