OAK MOSS what’s not to Lichen!

OAK MOSS

Oak Moss easy to see against the browns of the forest floor.

Other Names: Évernie, Mousse de Chêne, Ebernia Prunasti, Évernia, Evernia prunastri, Lichen Oak Moss, , Musgo de Roble, Tree Moss.

Archie and the Lichen

Identification:

A species of fruticose a branched, bushy lichen. It grows in forests throughout much of the northern hemisphere usually on old oak trees but can also be found growing on coniferous trees and some older fruit trees. The pale greenish gray thallus or body, 3 to 8 cm long, is branched palmately and slightly resembling mini stag horns, ending in pointed tips. The top is light green and warty with pale gray reproductive bodies called soredia. The undersurface is a whitish colour.

Close up of the Oak Moss thallus

My introduction to Oak Moss:

During my time learning and munching my way through the edible plant kingdom I have come across two different types of wild edible. Those that I would happily eat and those which I would label “starvation foods” meaning -they’re for reindeers and Ray Mears - you can eat them if you’re starving, but they’re not going to be setting your culinary world on fire; in fact if they make it on to that list they’re positively ‘orrible!

Oak Moss in situ.

Until recently I was aware that certain lichens and mosses were edible but had assumed that their place was well and truly on the Starvation Foods list. Still having not tried any I’d be a fool to just write them off like that!

Whilst wandering through my local woods surveying the carnage that had been brought on this winter by a rapid successions of storms and floods, I started noticing that there was a lot more oak moss on the ground, clearly dislodged by the strong winds.  There was certainly enough to bring home and have an experiment with in the kitchen. I gathered as much as I could from underneath some of the older oak trees, picked a few late season Hedgehog Fungus and winter chanterelles, and headed back to the lab.

Plenty has been written about oak moss and it’s uses as a fixative in the perfume industry. On smelling a bag full of it, it’s easy to see why, the lichen has beautiful delicate woody aroma.  Acids contained within oak moss are also extracted for use in drugs to treat infections and external wounds.  I have been told that it is these same acids that can give you a very painful time of things should you try to eat oak moss raw.  There is anecdotal evidence of a death attributed to eating oak moss, as the poor forager committed suicide from the pain in his stomach. BUT not to worry the process in the recipe below will be sure to rid the oak moss of this slightly disconcerting feature.

No Oak Moss here just thought I'd share a nice photo!

The starchy nature of cooked oak moss lends itself well to being a carrier of flavour.  I have tried several different versions of this recipe, adding different oils and dustings of spices but this one is a good starting point.  I’d love to hear in the comments below what you did with yours!

Oak Moss with Truffle and Lemon

Ingredients:

3 or 4 handfuls of Oak Moss

Sunflower Oil

Truffle Oil

1 Lemon

Kitchen Towel

The Raw ingredient. 

Recipe:

Clean the oak moss to ensure there are no bits of bark still attached

Prepare two pans of salted boiling water.

Boil the oak moss for 5 minutes in the first pan then strain and transfer to the second pan for a further 5 minutes.

Strain the water and lay each piece of moss out on the kitchen towel to dry out slightly.

Meanwhile heat your sunflower oil for deep-frying the moss to 160 C.

Drop small amounts of the oak moss into the oil and fry for between 5 and 10 seconds, remove with a slotted spoon and place on some more kitchen towel.

Once its all been fried, place in a bowl, season with salt and pepper, drizzle about half a teaspoon of truffle oil, a squeeze of lemon and gently toss to coat the lichen with the flavouring ensuring not to be too rough and break the delicate structure.

Experimenting with flavours 

Spice Dusted Oak Moss, Hedgehog Fungus and Winter Chanterelle Croquets with a Rare Roast Saddle of Venison.