by Mario Batali

Cool Roasted Shiitake with Barbecued Onions and Basil Oil Recipe

Shiitake mushrooms are revered for their immune-boosting and cholesterol-lowering properties and have been used medicinally for centuries. They are also subtle in taste, with the heartiness of meat but the lightness of an antipasto.

In the Cool Roasted Shiitake with Barbecued Onions and Basil Oil recipe below, substitute any wild mushroom available at market. I also like oyster and porcini.

Despite Julia Child's decree that mushrooms must always be cooked in butter, I use olive oil and slowly roast the shiitake to tease out their woodiness. (Mind you, Julia Child and I often differ on our lipid of choice.)

The cool, crisp autumn air summons the warm umami flavor of roasted mushrooms. Contrast it with stinging cold Lambrusco secco. That's not the pervasive sweet red wine of the 1980s but rather the dry sparkling wine prized in Emilia-Romagna. The cold wine complements the incoming cold of the season. It's everything right about fall.

This Cool Roasted Shiitake with Barbecued Onions and Basil Oil is the perfect dish for a part-time vegetarian or Meatless Monday devotee.

Cool Roasted Shiitake with Barbecued Onions and Basil Oil

    Prep Time: 15 minutes

    Cook time: 30 minutes

    Yield: Serves 4

Cool Roasted Shiitake with Barbecued Onions and Basil Oil Recipe Ingredients

    1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

    10 fresh sage leaves, finely chopped

    1 sprig of fresh rosemary, leaves finely chopped

    4 garlic cloves, 2 finely chopped and 2 thinly sliced

    1 pound shiitake mushrooms, stems removed

    Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

    1 tablespoon anchovy paste

    1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

    2 large red onions, sliced crosswise into half-inch slices

    For the Basil oil

    1 cup packed basil leaves, chopped

    2 cups extra-virgin olive oil

    1 teaspoon kosher salt

Cool Roasted Shiitake with Barbecued Onions and Basil Oil Recipe Instructions

    Preheat the oven to 350 F.

    In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup of the olive oil, the sage, rosemary and chopped garlic, and whisk to blend.

    Place the mushrooms in a small roasting pan or casserole and pour the oil mixture over. Season the mushrooms with salt and pepper, and roast uncovered for 20 minutes.

    Drain the mushrooms (saving the strained oil for a mushroom vinaigrette) and set aside in a medium bowl to cool.

    In a separate bowl, combine the sliced garlic, anchovy paste, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Gently whisk in 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and pour the mixture over the mushrooms.

    Preheat the grill or broiler.

    Brush the onion slices with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and grill on the hottest part of the grill until tender and grill-marked, about 4 minutes on each side.

    Remove the onions from the grill and divide them evenly among four warmed dinner plates.

    Remove the mushrooms from the marinade and mound them evenly atop the onions.

    Drizzle each plate with basil oil and serve immediately.

    For the Basil Oil

    Place all of the ingredients in a blender and puree until nearly smooth and uniformly green. Strain through a fine sieve.

Roasted Shiitake Mushrooms, Vegetarian, Italian

 

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Cool Roasted Shiitake with Barbecued Onions and Basil Oil

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