I don’t know about ya’ll, but I am abostlutely incapable of spying something like this in the grocery store and not taking it home. I saw these fuzzy little guys at the food co-op and had to have ’em. What the hell is a pom pom mushroom, anyway? I had no idea, but that was completely beside the point. “$4 each — I hope they’re worth it,” the check-out girl said skeptically.
According to the Internet, these fluffy little buns have a hearty, slightly sweet taste and an almost meaty texture that makes them of good use as a veggie replacement for veal or lobster. They’re fragile and shouldn’t be washed or handled much; just sliced up and sautéed in butter for about five minutes.
Not wanting to get too crazy in my first go-around with pom poms, I followed directions and just cooked them up in butter for a few minutes, then added them to some leftover udon as such:
They are actually quite delicious, and certainly hearty, although a replacement for lobster is a pit of a stretch. I’d call the texture less meaty and more spongey — kind of like a tastier fried tofu, with a sweet, somewhat nutty flavor.
I’m curious — anyone else played with pom poms? What do you do with ’em?