Coconut and Mushroom: The Bicolano Mushroom Dish I’ll Always Miss

After my brother sent me these photos from my parents' yard in the Philippines, where mushrooms were growing on a coconut fruit, my mind started to wander.

Oh how I missed the mushrooms cooked in coconut milk that my mum used to make!

These are oyter mushroom, possibly lung oyster.

Image credit: Localpedia

What I used to collect for a coconut dish is this type of mushroom called "kurakding" (also known as the common split gill mushroom, Schizophyllum commune). They grow a lot on decaying bamboo and rotting wood. It’s a beloved Bikol delicacy, and everyone in our village knows how to collect it. Two days after the rain, my grandmother would say, “Go collect the kurakding!”

Yes, I was a little mushroom forager starting at 5 years old. I would usually wander around and pick assorted mushrooms. My uncle would double-check them for me, and then we’d have a nice mushroom meal afterwards.

So out of nostalgia, I recreated the recipe for mushrooms in coconut milk, It’s a very easy recipe that anyone who doesn’t usually cook can do.

I replaced Kurakding with agaricus type from the farm shop as I can't find a decent amount of Kurakding around here. But one thing I noticed, these mushrooms are really wonky, possibly the current cold weather causes this, there's always something interesting about mushrooms.

So...
Coconut Mushroom (from Bikol wild delicacy)

Ingredients

750 g mushrooms (any kind, sliced or torn)

1 medium onion, finely sliced

4 cloves garlic, crushed

2 inch piece of ginger, finely sliced

4 fresh chillies, sliced (optional)

400 ml coconut milk, or 1 can full-fat coconut milk or thick fresh coconut cream

Ginger or lemon grass, lime or lemon leaves (add one or all if available)

Salt, to taste

Black pepper, to taste

Lemon

Spring onion (as garnish)

Paprika or chilli powder (optional to sprinkle)

Method

Slice mushrooms the way you want them. (I quartered them, chunky is better.)

Place mushrooms, onion, garlic, ginger, chillies, coconut milk, salt, and pepper all together in a pan.

🔥 Cook & reduce

Turn the heat to medium and let it simmer gently, stirring occasionally.

Cook until the mushrooms are soft and the coconut has reduced down to a thick, creamy coating about 20 to 30 minutes. Add chillies, Lime or lemon leaves.

Taste and adjust salt, pepper, and extra chillies (optional).

And that's it, very easy!

Savoury, coconutty, mushroomy!

Garnish with spring onion and serve straight from the pan with rice, bread, or just as is.

This is really delicious, you'll know it when you try. I sprinkle more cayenne pepper as I love extra hot!

I remember eating this outdoors with a fresh breeze of air in the middle of the farm, paired with fresh coconut juice straight from the coconut tree! Yes, I miss those days.

My share in Fungifriday by @ewkaw

Have a lovely day,
Mariah 💕