This guy Eric invited us over for dinner one time. He marinated some lion’s mane in garlic powder, salt, pepper and beetroot juice. And so the lions soaked up this redness, and then he must have cut them like an inch thick because I gave him some nice giant meaty ones. And he used a cast iron pan and then another cast iron pan on top and got a great sear. And, Kate, I had to do a double take, when you cut into it and it had these wavy, fatty looking bits and I was just like, This is a mushroom? The mouthfeel was very steak-y. And the look was very steak-y. I had to convince myself that it was in fact a mushroom. He did a surf and turf dinner, so he made king trumpet scallops and he used tiny little shiitakes to make a buttery escargot on crackers. And everything was vegan. It was probably one of the top five meals I’ve had in my life. The presentation was incredible and the flavors and textures were incredible. And knowing that we grew the ingredients that then were turned into this incredible dish was just amazing.
The Secret Ingredient: Lion's Mane
from