From Clair Kunkel's email:
"I’ve continued my experiments with eating the “hawk wing” mushroom (Sarcodon imbricatus aka Hydnum imbricatum) and would like to share my experience here. My wife and I have found this to be a delicious mushroom, easy to prepare, and adaptable to many uses. Furthermore they tend to be large (6-12 inches and larger) and provide a great yield; a perfect bonus mushroom to add to the usual finds in our area (Central Oregon Cascades). So far I’ve taste-tested about 20 individual hawk wings from several different sites, and all have been mild to sweet in flavor, with no bitterness. All were young to middle aged specimens found under spruce and hemlock at higher elevations (3500-5000ft) near lake shores in the Cascades.
My method of preparation has been to scrape off the teeth (not necessary in the youngest mushrooms where the spines are less than 1/16th inch in length). Then carve out the stem, which is fibrous. Cut the flesh into bite size pieces, then sauté with a bit of salt and one or two tablespoons of added liquid (wine, broth, water, etc.). It’s important to cook hawk wings very thoroughly, and they hold up very well to long cooking.
I start off with low heat, stirring until the mushrooms start to release their liquid. A little salt, and a tablespoon or two of added liquid can help start the liquid release process. Once there’s a bit of liquid in the bottom of the pan, turn the heat up to medium high and boil off the liquid, stirring occasionally. The key is to evaporate the water out of the liquid and concentrate the flavor (don’t discard the liquid, as it’s full of flavor). Once most of the liquid has boiled off, reduce the heat, stirring constantly until nearly all the liquid is gone (just a teaspoon or less left). Be careful not to let the pan go completely dry or burn the mushrooms. This process may take awhile, but leaves the mushrooms very moist and tender, ready to use as is, or incorporate into any other dishes. Once cooked, the mushroom takes on a deep brown color. Now is the time to add olive oil or butter and fry a bit if desired.
The cooked texture is a very tender and pleasant “al dente”, and the taste is mild and earthy, reminiscent of domestic Agaricus mushrooms. They readily absorb other flavors such as garlic, onion, broths, herbs, and spices. We’ve found they go well with meat, especially lamb and venison, and incorporate well into other dishes like soups, stir-fry, pastas, with eggs, or however you like your mushrooms. When cut into long, thin strips and sauted, these make an excellent substitute for noodles.
If you do some research online, you’ll find that the hawk wing (also known as shaggy hedgehog) has a kind of “Jekyll and Hyde” reputation. Some describe it as tough and bitter, some as bland and tastless, and some as delicious. In “Mushrooms Demystified”, Arora labels them as “edible but poor”, however in “All that the Rain Promises…” he describes them as “excellent”; go figure! Edible quality may also be affected by differences in environment, or associated plants where the hawk wing is found. Most sources recommend that younger specimens are superior in taste. Some sources report mild digestive upset if undercooked. The site “California Fungi” states that the montane forms are better than coastal forms; that may be good news for us Cascadians!
Some experts believe that there may be several different forms, or even more than one species that are presently lumped under Sarcodon imbricatus, and that more taxonomic work is needed to sort these out. Also, a related species (Sarcodon scabrosus) is very bitter, and may be misidentified as S. imbricatus lending to the confusion. Another similar species is S. squamosus. The hawk wing may also be known (or misidentified) by some ambiguous common names including “pheasant back” and “Dryad’s saddle”; these names are also used for some entirely different species in the polypore family. These other species may appear similar to the hawk wing when viewed from the top, but have porous gills, rather than the spiny gills of the hawk wing. This may add to the confusion concerning the hawk wing’s edibility.
I intend to make this mushroom part of our regular fare. It appears to dry well, and freezes well (sautéed before freezing). I urge other pickers in our area to give the hawk wing a try, and report your results in the contact email."