Chicken of the woods mushrooms (Laetiporus)

Campfire Chicken of the Woods Breakfast Burritos

Diced potatoes and chicken of the woods cooked through in one skillet, scrambled with eggs and cheddar and rolled in warm tortillas.

Serves: 6
Hands-on: 45 min
Total: 50 min
Skill: Easy

Cooks on: Stovetop or campfire · Breakfast

Ingredients

12 ozChicken of the woods mushrooms (Laetiporus), tender outer edges, cut into ½-inch dice
1 lbPotatoes, cut into ½-inch dice
1Onions, diced
8Eggs
1 cupSharp cheddar, shredded
1 tbspButter
1½ tspSalt, divided
½ tspBlack pepper, ground
3 tbsp neutral oil, divided
1 tsp smoked paprika
6 large flour tortillas, about 10 inches
½ cup salsa

You'll need

Large skillet, ideally cast iron
Stovetop or Campfire with grate or coals

Contains

Dairy, Egg, Gluten. Flour tortillas and salsa vary by brand and can contain soy or other additives. Check the labels.

Method

Set a 12-inch skillet on a grate over medium coals (or on the stove over medium heat) and heat 2 tbsp of the oil. Add the potatoes and ½ tsp of the salt, cover with a lid or foil, and cook, stirring every few minutes, until a fork slides in easily, 12 to 15 minutes.
Uncover, add the remaining 1 tbsp oil, and spread the potatoes out. Add the chicken of the woods, the onion and ½ tsp of the salt. Cook uncovered, stirring only every couple of minutes so the pieces stay in contact with the pan, until the mushroom pieces are tender and steaming hot all the way through and the potatoes and mushrooms are browned in spots, 10 to 12 minutes. Bite-test a piece: it should be soft, never firm or chalky. Stir in the smoked paprika and cook 30 seconds.
Beat the eggs with the remaining ½ tsp salt and the pepper. Move the skillet to a cooler spot (or turn the stove to medium-low), push the filling to one side, melt the butter in the open space, and pour in the eggs. Stir slowly until the eggs are firm with no liquid egg left, then fold everything together, scatter the cheddar over the top and let it melt.
Warm the tortillas one at a time in a dry pan or on the grate for a few seconds per side, until soft.
Spoon the filling down the middle of each tortilla, add a spoonful of salsa, fold in the sides and roll up.

When it's done: No safe time or temperature is established

Never eat chicken of the woods raw; cook it well, until tender all the way through. Some people get stomach upset or swollen lips even from correctly identified, well-cooked chicken of the woods, so eat only a small amount the first time (Missouri Department of Conservation).

If it goes wrong

Potatoes still hard: Keep them covered longer; the lid traps steam and cooks them through.
Nothing browning: The pan was crowded or stirred too often. Use a 12-inch skillet, or brown the mushrooms first and set them aside, and leave the pieces alone between stirs.
Mushrooms rubbery: They were from the tough base, or undercooked. Use the outer edges and give them the full time.
Eggs dry and rubbery: The heat was too high. Move the pan to cooler coals before the eggs go in and take them off as soon as no liquid egg remains.
Tortillas cracking: Warm them a little longer, and wrap the stack in a towel or foil until you fill them.

Leftovers. Serve right away. Keep eggs, cheese and uncooked mushrooms in a cooler at 40°F or below. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and reheat to 165°F.