Monday, January 31, 2011

Mushroom Bruschetta



I visited "The Mushroom Lady" at this weekend's farmers market and came home with some really nice Maitake and Buna Shimeji mushrooms. Both of these are native to Asia and can be quite expensive, but closing time at the market is when good deals are made. I played with the idea of sauteing the mushrooms over creamy polenta but my second idea of Bruschetta was faster. Slices of oiled quality bread grill on my panini press while I quickly cook the mushrooms. I do this with vegetable oil over very high heat with kosher salt and pepper, and when they are just starting to become limp they are done and come off the heat. Why do I use vegetable oil? For the neutral flavor and high smoke point (it will reach a higher temperature before smoking and burning.) I tossed the cooked mushrooms with fresh parsley and extra virgin olive oil before spooning onto the crusty warm toast, shaved Parmesan to finish, and poured a glass of equally good white wine to savor with it.

1 comment:

Viviane Bauquet Farre - Food and Style said...

A delicious classic bruschetta - The hen of the woods mushrooms you use are so flavorful! I love them and fortunately, even though I don't have a "mushroom lady" near by, I can still find them most of the year. They're worth every penny.