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| Forest Lamb Mushroom Chili / Lampaankääpa-chilikeitto with Cornbread |
A discussion around what exactly is “real chili” can turn quickly into a heated debate among those who take their chili seriously. The recipe I’m about to give you may raise the eyebrows of those in the strictly beef and/or bean crowd since the main source of protein here comes from mushrooms, but please read on.
At first I was afraid this may be a recipe designed just for Finns, as the first name in English name I came across for Lampaankääpä, “terrestrial polypore fungus” doesn’t sound very appetizing, and, according to Wikipedia’s entry for Albatrellus ovinus, it’s “edible and sold commercially in Finland”, but doesn’t mention any other locations. I began to wonder: anybody out there not from Finland and still picking and enjoying this fine mushroom?
Fortunately, further research yielded both a more appealing English name: Forest Lamb Mushroom. Now that makes a lot more sense, and gives nod to the Finnish name using the Finnish word for sheep “Lammas”as well as the Latin “ovinus” from “ovis” meaning sheep.
And if this all getting too detailed for you, bear with me here, check out the video above (in Finnish) and know that this fine mushroom, with a distant resemblance to the back of a white, fluffy, woolly sheep, , is not only delicious and versatile, it’s extremely easy to recognize, grows across Europe and North America, and we are having a bumper crop here in Finland this year. A weekend visit to Sipoonkorpi, the national park area east of Helsinki, yielded far more of these than I cared to bring home; I packed several kilos worth in my basket and left the rest for other mushroom hunters sure to come along behind me.
A note to all of you mushroom hunters around the world who are reading this and wondering if you should bother, give it a try! Every site I came across mentioned that it’s eaten in Finland. The reference was so unusually specific that I am still wondering if any other nationality has embraced it as edible. Let me know!
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| Forest Lamb Mushroom, Lampaankääpä, Albatrellus ovinus |
This is a firm, clean mushroom. They have a smooth, white to light brown top, dry to the touch, with dips and curves. They stand close to the ground on a very short step, quite often overlapping with each other. The underside has very fine, dense, pure white spores. When you find them, as always, check for worms while you are in the forest and leave the infested parts behind. While usually pure white when you pick them, these mushrooms turn yellow when cooked. Once home, you can fry them up in a pan like you would beef patties; rinse under water, dip in flour, then egg, then a flour mixture seasoned with parmesan, salt, pepper and oregano and fry in butter, or, you can use them as a meat replacement in chili.
What?!? Chili? Well…I’ve been wanting something with a warm, spicy kick to go along with the cooling weather. I’m a big fan of chili, find myself consuming less & less meat these days, and didn’t have any beans in the house. I was staring at the big pile of Forest Lamb Mushroom aka Lampaankääpä in my refrigerator and I realized that it would serve as a fine substitute for meat.
You could add beans to this as well, and I may do that next time. There is a long-standing argument among chili aficionados as to whether “real” chili contains beans at all or meat at all. There are strong advocates in both the beef only camp and the beans only camp, and a long line of people who combine the two as well as advocates of White Chili made with chicken and white beans. Some wonder about the use of tomatoes, saying it has no place there, while others wouldn’t dream of making chili without it. The bottom line, I would say, is that the best thing you can do with a pot of chili is make it your own. If you love beans, toss them in. If you have a sweet pepper/paprika that needs a home, dice it and toss it in. Would you like to add corn? Great idea. And so the story goes. In fact, if I’d been facing down a plate of porcini/herkkutatti, they would have found a welcome place in this chili as well. But given the abundance of Lampaankääpä in every forest I’ve walked in during the last couple of weeks, I suggest you start your Mushroom Chili adventure with this. Enjoy!
To serve with it, I highly recommend you make this cornbread. Get your chili simmering in the pot, mix together your cornbread and get that in the oven, and you’ll be sitting at a table, surrounded by a mouth-watering, fragrant meal, in about 40 minutes.
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| Forest Lamb Mushroom Chili / Lampaankääpä-chilikeitto with Cornbread |
A few notes before you begin:
- You can substitute other, meaty mushrooms for the Forest Sheep Mushroom: Chantarelles (Kantarelli), Hedgehogs (Vaaleaorakas), Porcini (Herkkutatti) and Portobello would all work here.
- Adjust the amount of chili to your liking. I like it spicy, so I used 1.5 teaspoons of cayenne.
- If you have a can or box of pre-cooked kidney beans, black beans, or white beans, by all means add them. Next time I make this, I will definitely include beans.
- Other vegetables I’d suggest here are zucchini (kesäkurpitsa) and cauliflower (kukkakaali).
Forest Lamb Mushroom Chili / Lampaankääpä-chilikeitto
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
400g / 1 pound Forest Lamb Mushroom / Lampaankääpä, diced
1 large onion, diced small
1 stalk celery, diced
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons salt
1 – 1.5 teaspoons ground cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
650 g / two cans tomato sauce
Heat the vegetable oil of your choice in a heavy-bottomed pot (don’t use unlined cast-iron as it will react with the tomatoes). Add the mushrooms, onion, celery and carrots and cook at medium low heat for 5 minutes, until the onions are soft and translucent. Add the remaining ingredients and stir well to combine. Increase the temperature and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, and cover the pot. Allow the chili to simmer for 30 minutes. Serve; with shredded cheese if desired.
Serves 4-6. Reheats and freezes well. Serve with Fresh Cornbread