Fried Apples with Honey Mushrooms

In September, the first autumn rains bring out the wild honey mushroom (Armillariella mellea) briefly but abundantly. Less than one block from the busiest intersection of downtown Chapel Hill, North Carolina, lies my source, the mushrooms recurring there annually. The first picking always goes to a plump hen, which is stuffed with as many of the sautéed mushrooms as possible and roasted on a bed of fresh thyme. The bird is served with the simplest sauce—reduced pan drippings and mush