Have you ever had roasted lion’s mane as a main? We were amazed by this delicious recipe for a shroom we often supplement with, but never eat whole! If you’re a fan of lion’s mane mushrooms for their brain-optimizing benefits, you’ll be thrilled at this roasted recipe with harissa and a tahini cream sauce.

Michael Crupain, MD, MPH shares this adventurous recipe in the new The Power Five: Essential Foods for Optimum Health. As a board-certified preventive medicine doctor, Michael’s medical and culinary resume’s are equally stacked. His new cookbook aims to help us cook and eat with longevity in mind — and everything is delicious. Source or grow your own shrooms, dive into this recipe, and let us know your results!

Roasted Lion’s Mane Mushrooms with Whipped Tahini

Lion’s mane mushrooms have a long history of use in Asia for both culinary and medicinal purposes. They’re very “meaty” and remind me of sweetbreads. Whipped Tahini is a vegan cream sauce made from pureed sesame seeds. It’s a lovely way to add richness to mushrooms or virtually anything that could be made a little richer—and more delicious—with a little cream. Add garlic to it for a pungent note.

Serves 4
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:
1/2 pound lion’s mane mushrooms
2 to 4 tbsp rose harissa (see recipe below)
1/4 cup whipped tahini (see recipe below)
Extra-virgin olive oil (optional)
Cobanero chile flakes (optional)

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 425F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Coat the tops of the mushrooms with the rose harissa, and place on the sheet pan. Roast for 45 minutes or until the harissa is a dark red and the mushrooms are tender when poked with a skewer or paring knife. (If your mushrooms are small, they may cook faster.) You may need to turn the pan and mushrooms occasionally so they cook evenly.
2. Spread the tahini on a plate. Cut the mushrooms into 1/4-inch-thick slices, and serve with the tahini. If desired, drizzle the tahini with oil and sprinkle with chile flakes.

For the sauces:

Rose Harissa Recipe

Makes 1 Pint
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time 10 minutes

Ingredients:
10 New Mexico or Anaheim chile peppers
4 guajillo chile peppers
5 sun-dried tomato halves in oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp caraway seeds
3 cloves garlic
2 tsp rose petals
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
3/4 cup olive oil
Salt

Directions:
1. Cut the tips off the chiles, and shake out any seeds. Place the chiles in a 4-quart pot, and cover with water. Bring to a boil, turn off the heat, and add the tomatoes to the pot. Let sit for at least 1 hour. Make sure the chiles are fully submerged by placing a piece of parchment paper on top, followed by a small plate or bowl to weigh the chiles down.
2. Meanwhile, toast the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, and caraway seeds in a skillet over medium heat for 1 minute or until fragrant. Remove from the heat, and let cool. Then grind to a powder in a spice or coffee grinder.
3. When the chiles are fully rehydrated, drain, reserving the chiles, tomatoes, and 1 cup chile water. Remove stems and any remaining seeds from the chiles (wear rubber gloves).
4. Process the garlic, rose petals, paprika, toasted spices, and reserved tomatoes in a food processor until minced. Add the lemon zest and juice, and pulse to combine. Add the chiles, and process until a mostly smooth paste is formed. If it’s too dry, you can add 1 to 2 tbsp of the reserved chile water. Gradually add oil through the food chute, processing into a thick paste. Season with salt to taste.
5. Transfer to an airtight container, and let stand to allow flavors to combine. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

Whipped Tahini Recipe

Makes About 2 Cups
Prep Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
4 cloves garlic
Juice of 1 lemon
1 cup tahini
Salt

Directions:
1. Process the garlic in a food processor until chopped. Add the lemon juice, and pulse to combine. Let stand for 15 minutes.
2. Drain the lemon juice from the garlic, and discard. Add then tahini to the garlic in the food processor, and pulse to combine. The tahini sauce will likely become very thick. With the food processor on, add 1 cup ice-cold water very slowly through the food chute until the mixture becomes airy.
3. Season with salt to taste. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

From The Power Five: Essential Foods for Optimum Health © 2023 by Michael Crupain, MD, MPH. Excerpted by permission of National Geographic Partners LLC, an imprint of Disney Publishing Worldwide. Photography by Scott Suchman. All rights reserved.