Receta Oyster Mushroom "BLTs" with Basil Mayonnaise
Richard Landau is a chef in Philadelphia at
a vegetarian restaurant called “Vedge”.
He and his wife, Katie Jacoby, are also authors of a cookbook by the
same name (The Experiment 2013). In the
run up to the book’s publication, Rich contributed this recipe to Food and Wine magazine. It's an incarnation of one of my favorite sandwiches, the BLT. But instead of the B, he pressed Oyster
Mushrooms into service. The result is a stunning take on the original. Meaty and full of flavor. Pick the right bread and you'll be in heaven.
The firm, meaty texture of the mushroom takes the place of the
Bacon. Now anyone who has ever had Really Good Bread makes
a really great sandwich.
the
misfortune to taste what the vegan stand stand in for bacon is, will give this
substitution a standing O. I made these
for a light supper. Andrew and I
couldn’t get over how good they were. I used the “tomatoes on the vine” and they
passed muster. But I couldn’t help think how glorious this will taste once we
are in tomato season. I also opted for a
really great loaf of seeded rye bread which I toasted and spread with the
easy-to-make basil mayonnaise. A couple
of romaine lettuce leaves, the tomato slice and the sautéed mushrooms, lots of
salt and pepper and voila, a meatless meal in no time. I made this for the two of us. It could easily be doubled but beware, you will want to eat every one you can get your hands on.
Oyster
Mushrooms are recommended here but if you can’t get your hands on them,
shiitakes can be substituted. I get my
Oyster and Shiitake Mushrooms from Long Island Mushroom Inc. which provides
superb mushrooms to restaurants and home cooks out on the East End. Jane
Maguire and John Quigley put tremendous effort into growing all their
mushrooms. Mushroom fanciers look
forward to Fall and the wild oyster mushrooms that are harvested then. Long Island Mushroom Inc. means you never
have to wait for Fall. They are the only
local provider who grow mushrooms all ‘year round. And they do it in a sparkling facility they
created in Cutchogue, Long Island. Constantly controlled humidity and
temperature mean flawless mushrooms.
Look for them at Farmer’s Markets. Go on their website,
www.longislandmushroom.com to see when and where you can get these
best-in-class beauties.
The Oyster mushroom or Pleurotus ostreatus was first cultivated in Germany during World
War I. It’s hard to imagine that
something now considered a delicacy was first grown as a subsistence food in
wartime. Most cooks tear these mushrooms into pieces when they cook them. Chef Landau cuts them in slices. This is harrowing because you don’t end up
with a flawless slice; in fact you will have all kinds of shapes as
pictured. They may not be as perfect, but believe me even in imperfection, they are just
fine.
Recipe for Oyster Mushroom “BLT’s” with Basil Mayonnaise from Chef Rich
Landau of Philadelphia’s Vedge Restaurant
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 pound king oyster mushrooms,
- trimmed and very thinly sliced lengthwise
- 3 tablespoons finely shredded basil, plus more
- for garnish
- 4 slices of country bread, lightly toasted
- 4 small romaine lettuce leaves, whole or
- shredded
- 1 large red tomato, thinly sliced
- 1.
- In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil until
- shimmering. Add half of the mushroom slices in a single layer and cook, turning
- once, until golden, about 6 minutes. Drain the mushrooms on paper towels and
- season them with salt and pepper. Repeat with the remaining 1 tablespoon of
- olive oil and mushrooms.
- 2.
- In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise with the 2 tablespoons of
- shredded basil and season with salt and pepper. Spread 1 tablespoon of the
- basil mayonnaise on each slice of bread and top with lettuce. Arrange the
- sliced tomato on the lettuce, followed by the mushrooms. Sprinkle the
sandwiches with salt and pepper and garnish with basil.
3.
Serve the sandwiches
open-face or close the sandwiches and serve.