Foodie: Mushroom Toast

Avocado toast has long been the reigning champ of fancy toasts that you can make at home. Well, move over, avocado! Mushroom toast is going to be the new kid in town.

This recipe calls for chanterelle mushrooms, those large, trumpet-like mushrooms with gills under their hoods and a bright orange color that actually glows in the dark! They are high in potassium and Vitamin D. Their taste is often described as fruity and peppery and their texture is dense and meaty. They are also very easy to find out in the woods but depend entirely upon heavy rainfall to sprout. From early June all the way through late fall, you can find chanterelle mushrooms about two to three days after a heavy rainfall in almost any region of North America. If you’re not foraging on your own, you can always find chanterelles at your local farmer’s market during the season. While cooking mushrooms, you will notice that there is a lot of liquid in your pan. That’s because mushrooms are like sponges that release water initially, but then soak it all back in when heated, taking in all of those simmering flavors and spices simmering with it. This warm hearty toast will make you want to put that avocado toast recipe on the shelf for a little while.

Ingredients & Equipment:

1 lb fresh chanterelle mushrooms, cleaned and roughly chopped
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar (red wine vinegar also works too)
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup vegetable stock
½ teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon chopped flat leaf parsley
1 tablespoon cold butter
¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
4 slices toasted sourdough, for serving
4 tablespoons shaved or grated Parmesan or pecorino romano cheese

Large fry pan
Wooden spoon
Cheese grater

Instructions:

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a large fry pan. When the oil is hot, add the diced chanterelle mushrooms. Set a timer for 4 minutes and cook the mushrooms, moving them very little.
2. Add the sherry or red wine vinegar, lemon juice. Cook until the liquid has been fully reduced.
3. Add the vegetable stock and reduce until there is about half of the liquid in the pan. You may want to pop the toast in the oven at this time so it is served warm. (The author of this post likes to toast the sourdough bread slices in the oven at 350℉ with a tiny drizzle of olive oil before popping them in, just to be extra fancy.)
4. Add the butter, rosemary, parsley, and thyme and stir with a wooden spoon to incorporate.
5. Spoon the chanterelles and a bit of the liquid evenly over the slices of toasted bread. Grate cheese over top and serve immediately.

Recipe adapted from the NYTimes.

How do you cook your mushrooms? Tell us about it in the comments!