Foraging is limited at this time of year, as are locally grown vegetables — it’s traditionally known as the “Hungry Gap”. Yet one ingredient thrives precisely in these cold, damp conditions: the frost-tolerant Wood ear.
You’ll find it growing on decaying elder trunks and fallen branches. True to its name, it looks — and feels — remarkably like an ear: smooth, pliable, slightly translucent when fresh. It does require a certain fortitude to forage in winter, gathering cold, clammy, ear-shaped fungi from hedgerows. But if you’re after a worthwhile countryside project at a quiet time of year, this is an excellent one.
Wood ear is highly prized in Eastern medicine and food culture. Nutritionally, it is rich in soluble fibre, supporting digestion, helping regulate blood sugar, and promoting gut health. More than flavour, it contributes texture — a delicate crunch that carries sauces beautifully.
In professional kitchens it appears in soups, broths and braises. We have supplied both 36 On The Quay and the award-winning The Earl of March.
Adam, Head Chef at The Earl of March, uses the fungus whole. He blanches it briefly, then sautés it in seasoned butter and the rendered fat of wild duck such as wigeon. It pairs particularly well with aromatic salt-baked heritage carrots. Another excellent approach is to pickle the mushrooms and serve them alongside a game terrine, where their subtle crunch offsets the richness.
Across East Asia you’ll find countless recipes — search for “kikurage” in Japanese cookery — where the mushrooms are briefly blanched before being sliced into stir-fries, noodle dishes and broths, or used anywhere a mushroom might benefit from added texture.
In the depth of winter, when the land appears quiet, wood ear reminds us that there is still abundance to be found — if you’re willing to look closely.