Recipe

Lion's Mane steaks

This is the one we always tell people to start with. A head of fresh Lion's Mane cut into slabs, seared in a dry pan, then finished with butter, garlic and onion. It takes on whatever you season it with.

About 20 minutesOne panServes 4 to 8 per poundFresh Lion's Mane · market pickup

By Andrew Johnson, Florida Shroom King · September 30, 2026

Lion's Mane steaks seared golden brown with thyme on a white plate, one cut open to show the white strands inside

The recipe

Ingredients

Method

  1. Cut the head into flat slabs, somewhere between a quarter and a half inch thick, like a cutlet.
  2. Get a cast iron or stainless pan hot first, medium-high, nothing in it yet.
  3. Get the slabs in the hot pan, dry. Press them down to push the water out, and let them sweat for about ten minutes. Flip them so both sides get some color and a light sear.
  4. Then throw in the butter or oil, the garlic and the onion, and give it another five to ten minutes. Season it however you like.

Don't have a head yet? We're at four markets every week.

Oil goes in after, not before

Put the oil in with the mushroom and it seals the water inside. The slab stews in itself and stays spongy. Let the water cook off first and press it, and it gets super meaty. That one step is what people are missing when they say they don't like mushrooms. More on that in how we cook fresh mushrooms.

What it tastes like

Mild and a little sweet, and the texture is what people notice first. It's dense, a bit like lobster meat, and it holds its shape in the pan. The savory depth you get once it's seared is what people call umami.

Garlic and onion together is what makes it.

Not cooking it tonight?

Within the week, the fridge is fine, in a paper bag and not plastic. If it's going to be more than about ten days, put it in the freezer.

More of what we cook is on our recipes page. Fresh Lion's Mane is farmers market pickup only, at four markets a week.

Fresh Lion's Mane in baskets at our farmers market booth
Where to get one

Fresh from our booth, four markets a week

We bring fresh Lion's Mane to four farmers markets every week. It's farmers market pickup only, so come and find us at a booth. We never ship fresh mushrooms.

  • Friday DeLand Artisan Alley
  • Saturday Lakeridge Winery, Clermont
  • Sunday Halifax River Market, Port Orange
  • Monday Audubon Park, Orlando
Find your market

All recipes

Ingredients
  • 1 head fresh Lion's Mane
  • Butter or oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, sliced
  • Half an onion, sliced
  • Salt, pepper, and whatever else you like. We recommend paprika and rosemary or thyme