1. Tasty Lion’s Mane Roars in a Raw Crabby Roll

2. Mushroom Crabby Cakes Two Ways

I was playing in the kitchen with Jon, a mushroom grower in my permaculture club. Our object of affection was a strange mushroom I had never seen before. It looked more like coral. Never in my mind did I see crab meat coming from a lion’s mane.

My intention was to lacto-ferment it in a seafood brine I developed for other mock seafood dishes. We mixed together the brine and tossed it with torn shreds of mushroom.

As we packed the fermentor, Jon took a nibble of the brine-soaked mushroom and Eureka! The flavor and texture rang crab true right then and there! I’m so glad we tasted! After fermenting the batch, it had lost its ephemeral crabbiness! So you can skip the ferment and make crabby rolls on the spot!

From a head of lion’s mane to a soft and luscious crabby roll; you will NOT be disappointed!

Crabby Roll : Serves 4

INGREDIENTS: Note: Lion’s Mane is slowly coming to market. I bought 8 oz. at Sprouts Market for $6. Choose uniformly white heads

• lion’s mane – 1 LB, hand torn
• quick brine
  • water – 2 cups
  • sea salt – 2 tsp
  • fish sauce – 1 1/2 TBS [or vegan Worcestershire]
  • kelp granules – 1/2 tsp [find at health food stores]
• Crabby Roll Ingredients
  • mayonnaise – 1/4 c
  • horseradish – 1 TBS
  • lemon juice – 2 TBS
  • lemon zest – 1 TBS [from 1 lemon]
  • celery – 1 rib, finely chopped
  • chives – 1 TBS, minced
  • Old Bay seasoning – 1/2 tsp
  • salt/pepper – to taste
• hot dog rolls, naan, or other artisan bread
• buttercup lettuce leaves – or other light lettuce leaves

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Tear mushrooms into thumb-size pieces and briefly rinse, drain, and lightly press
2. Combine the brine; add the mushrooms; soak 30-60 minutes, then again, drain and lightly press out excess liquid
3. Combine the crabby roll ingredients and lightly toss with the mushrooms
4. Warm or toast the bread, lay on a leaf or two of lettuce and spoon on the crabby mixture

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CRAB CAKES TWO WAYS – Honoring the famed Maryland Crab Cake

If you are a fermenter and want to enjoy making my fermented “land crab” cake, here’s the recipe link. I ferment dried maitake or shiitake mushrooms for four days. Then make these cakes. Or if you like, use the crabby roll in the quick brine above without fermenting and then combine with the crab cake ingredients below:

INGREDIENTS: SERVES 3-4

COOKING OPTIONS: Fry or Bake

• meat-believe mushroom crab – 1 LB, [or Lion’s mane crabby roll mixture]
• mayo – 1/2 cup
• egg – 1
• salt – 1/2 tsp
• pepper – to taste
• Worcestershire – 1 1/2 tsp
• mustard – 1 TBS dijon, or yellow
• Old Bay seasoning – 1 1/2 tsp
• panko – 1/2 cup, or finely crushed crackers
• celery – 2 TBS, minced
• scallions – 2 TBS minced
• chives – 2 TBS
• parsley – 2 TBS, minced
• lemon zest – 1 TBS from one lemon
• lemon juice – 1 TBS
• oil to shallow fry

SERVES 4

Combine all the ingredients and form 3 inch diameter by 1 inch thick cakes. Shallow fry until golden—3 to 4 minutes and flip and repeat. Keep warm.

Bake on a sprayed sheet pan 375º for 15-18 minutes until golden

DIPPING SAUCE: For an excitingly and different sauce, combine mayonnaise with equal parts finely minced kimchi; kind of like a Korean remoulade.

©2025 Meat-Believe, B. Hettig