Hen of the Woods Mushroom and Egg Sandwich Recipe

A fried egg and sharp cheddar provide unctuous oomph, while mustard and pickled onions keep everything balanced and bright. Use good white bread, like a pain de mie or a Pullman loaf, that can stand up to the filling’s heft. Photos and recipes excerpted from Coastal: 130 Recipes From a California Road Trip by Scott Clark with Betsy Andrews © 2025.

Published by Chronicle Books. Photography © Cheyenne Ellis.

Featured in “Building the Ultimate Picnic Spread on the California Coast” by Scott Clark as told to Betsy Andrews in the Spring/Summer 2025 issue. See more recipes and stories from Issue 204.

Ingredients

• 3 Tbsp. ghee (clarified butter), divided
• 2 slices white bread
• One 3½-oz. hen of the woods mushroom
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 slices sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 large egg
• Mustard, lettuce leaves, and pickled red onions, for serving

Instructions

• In a large skillet over -medium-high heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the ghee. Add the bread slices and cook without flipping until golden on one side, 1–2 minutes. Transfer to a plate toasted-side down and set aside.
• In the same skillet, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of ghee. Add the mushroom, season with salt and black pepper, and cook, pressing the mushroom down with a spatula and flipping once, until golden brown and crisp on both sides, about 4 minutes total. Move the mushroom to one side of the skillet and top it with the cheddar. Crack the egg into the open space and cook until the white is set, about 2 minutes. Flip the egg and turn off the heat.
• Spread mustard on the untoasted sides of the bread. Top one slice with the lettuce and pickled onions and the other with the mushroom, then the egg. Close the sandwich, cut it in half, and serve.