For some reason - one completely lacking in rhyme, reason or scientific backing - I turn to mushrooms when I’m feeling tired and low on energy. Over recent weeks, following the tug of my appetite, I have roasted many trays of shiitake, chestnut and oyster mushrooms. Once deeply golden and crisp, I stir through a knob of butter then immediately douse in salty, garlicky vinegar. Very few ingredients, very little effort and somehow very reviving.
Various routes you could take these salt and vinegar roasted mushrooms down:
~ Toss through pasta (a stubby, chubby shape like rigatoni or radiatori feels right here) with another clove or two of garlic, a big fistful of chopped parsley, a slosh of starchy pasta water (of course) and plenty of good olive oil
~ Scatter over roasted cabbage wedges, top with blobs of yoghurt or sour cream, herbs, chilli flakes etc etc
~ Spoon over braised leeks and white beans (lemon zest, juice and parmesan in with the beans)
~ Pile onto buttery toast with fried or scrambled eggs and chives
~ Serve as they are in a shallow bowl with little forks or cocktail sticks for people to jab at as they enjoy a glass of something. Perhaps with shards of a hard, salty cheese too.
~ Use as a topping for any rich, slow cooked braise/stew that may benefit from additional texture and acidic lift
~ Stir through nutty grains (farro, pearl barley or short grain brown rice spring to mind here) then finish with a coarse salsa verde
Take your pick, depending on the tug of your appetite.
Salt and vinegar roasted mushrooms
In terms of vinegar options, I’ve suggested white wine vinegar on the basis that you want a sharp flavour as opposed to anything too fruity or sweet. Use your judgment if you’d like to substitute, adding a splash of lemon juice and/or pickle brine to brighten up a potentially less assertive vinegar.
300g mushrooms (ideally a few varieties for a range of textures and flavours)
3 tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove
3 tbsp white wine vinegar
Knob of butter (about 20g)
Preheat the oven to 220C and line a large baking sheet with greaseproof paper.
Roughly tear larger mushrooms into pieces and leave smaller ones whole. Transfer to the lined tray, drizzle with 3 tbsp olive oil and season with black pepper (hold off with the salt for now).
Roast for 15-20 minutes, turning after 10 minutes, until deeply golden and crisp. Depending on the variety and the way they’ve been torn, or not as the case may be, some mushrooms may be done around the 10 minute mark when you turn, in which case remove from the tray and set aside on a plate.
Meanwhile, finely grate the garlic and put in a small bowl with the vinegar and a good pinch of salt. Set aside while the mushrooms roast; this gives the garlic time to mellow slightly in the vinegar.
As soon as you remove the mushrooms from the oven, add the knob of butter to the tray, stir to melt and coat the mushrooms. Immediately add the garlicky vinegar and stir well (the reason for doing this straight away is so that the heat of the mushrooms and the tray itself tames the garlic). Set aside for a few minutes so that all the flavours get to know one another. Taste and adjust for seasoning then serve.
Other bits & bobs
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