CHEF JP’S MAGIC MUSHROOMS
- O&A Team
- October 5, 2022
- Food
- brown mushrooms, Button mushrooms, Chef JP le Roux, Cooking with mushrooms, eryngii mushrooms, Oyster mushrooms, shitake mahsrroms, World Mushroom Day, World Mushroom month
- 0 Comments
Chef JP makes magic with mushrooms, turning fungi into foodie heaven
As with any celebration, we as chefs also celebrate food – hence October is international mushroom month and the 15th is International Mushroom Day. But, more of that in part two of our magic mushroom journey …
First, we want to say our farewells to our local Denny mushroom farm at Shongweni for the time being. It is one thing for us to be left in the dark for so long (okay, I’m cooking with gas) but to see the proverbial candle go out for a farm that supports many within the local community all because of an alleged arson attack just adds to the sadness that one feels in the crazy world in which we find ourselves.
Already, we’re seeing the impact on the price of mushrooms in the local supermarkets in KZN which is also infuriating.
But the good news is that the farm will probably be up and running sometime next year and chefs like me – as well as foodies like you – will be here to support it.
On a lighter note, I have always been intrigued with mushrooms – aka fungi – which feed on the richness of the soil and open up a world of magical delight in the kitchen.
Mushrooms evoke all our senses:
Sight – vision, of shapes on the mushroom fields
Taste – gustation. so many different flavours
Smell – olfaction, different aromas
Sound – audition, mushrooms popping their heads from the soil (okay, mushrooms in my pan)
Texture and touch – tactician, so many different textures
They have also been labelled as the full umami of food types.
This powerful plant protein has been known as a magical medicinal fungi for centuries. Apart from just tasting wonderful and adding something special to almost any dish, they have plenty of added benefits health wise. To put it simply, mushrooms are one of the most important vegan (or non-animal) sources of vitamin D and as soon as they begin to soak up the sunlight (or UV rays on farms), they increase their concentration of Vitamin D.
Hit a quick google and you’ll also find out that mushrooms are a rich, low calorie source of fibre, plant-based protein and antioxidants. Research shows that these little critters play a role in everything from protecting against free radicals and helping improve gut health to helping us to avoid serious health conditions, such as Alzheimer’s, heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.
To summarise, mushrooms are rich in potassium, low on fat and sodium and even contain a soluble fibre called beta-glucan which provides a kick start for the immune system. According to some stats, 200g of mushrooms per day can help prevent breast cancer!
Just in case you need any more convincing that mushrooms aren’t truly magic, I’m going to be cooking with these fairy-tale fungi and showing you just how versatile and economically friendly these little captivating guys can be.
Although, there are many different shapes, flavours and textures to discover, living in South Africa has its limitations and you are usually restricted to the basics. But, if you search for them in your local deli’s or organic fresh produce shops rather than the veggie section of the local Spar, chances you’ll find more variety.
I actually recall visiting a mushroom farm in Cape Town. You are presented with a basket and can go out and pick your own. I found at least eight different types that morning.
For those that have never tried them, I won’t go into any more detail – but it is most definitely a magical phantasmagorical experience. This is a file pic of a small Aztec village in Mexico.
In hindsight, we also need to be meticulously careful about what we eat, especially in South Africa where most of the mushrooms that you are likely to gather during a foraging trip are likely to be poisonous.
In my (recipe) book, caution is always the order of the day – and, if you want to try different flavours, make sure that you chat with an expert.
My carefully selected, edible mushroom basket is filled with all the natural goodness – button mushrooms, Portobello, oyster, chanterelle, wild brown, shitake, shimeji and eryngii mushrooms.
BUTTON UP
Denny is up first with the classic button mushroom.
I cleaned them by quickly rinsing them in running water over a colander, then damped them dry and dipped them in egg wash before rolling them gently in some breadcrumbs. Give them another egg bath before rolling them in some cornflake crumbs. Leave them in the fridge for a few minutes while you heat your oil to 170. Then you can rescue them from the cold, pop them in the pan and watch them turn golden brown. The oil will crisp the surface, but, inside, the magic happens. They steam inside and stay moist. After you’ve let them cool for a bit, you can devour them with a creamy goats’ cheese dip.
SOUP OF THE DAY SIGNOR!
There is nothing more earthy than a good old fashioned mushroom soup. To give this special classic some more wholesomeness, I added some diced potato and steamed leeks. The mushroom that truly rises to the occasion when you are making soup is definitely the Porcini mushroom which is dark in colour with a well-rounded smokey fragrance. I used both dried and non-dried Porcini mushrooms.
With every scoop, you can taste that earthy soil.
MUSHROOM COUS COUS RISOTTO
Having done many restaurant reviews – and with lots more to come – I often gage my food experience by the perfect risotto. If you can master this, you will be in my masterclass soon…
There are a few key notes you have to digest before you take on this task. Firstly, don’t over heat your stock. Don’t stir too much. Use Portobello and shiitake mushrooms. Use plenty of good Italian vino,
This time round, I have chosen couscous as my Arborio rice. To me, it is tastier and a finer dining option. The choice of mushroom is because of the smokiness and the texture. So, here goes:
FROM YOUR MUSHROOM PANTRY:
3 cups low sodium, chicken or veg stock
25 ml extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
200 grams portabella mushrooms
100 grams shiitake mushrooms
1 Tablespoons ground garlic
2 glugs of fine vino
1 cup couscous
50 grams peas
salt and pepper
parmesan cheese
garlic chives
25 grams salted Lurpak butter
fresh parsley
Pour 2 cups your cold stock into a medium size pot. On the side, coat your pan with some olive oil and butter. Sweat your onions, add your garlic, some salt and pepper and seat your mushrooms for 2 minutes. This will keep the flavour intact.
Now, it’s time for the pino grigio, Let the alcohol evapourate and add this mixture into you cold stock.
Add your couscous so that the liquid covers the mix. Turn the heat to a slow simmer and leave your dish to simmer away for 16 minutes. If it seems to dry out. you can now use the rest of the stock. Add your peas. After three minutes, you can turn it up another notch, and let the excess moisture evaporate.
Now it’s time to serve up. Add more seasoning if you desire as well as some parsley and parmesan shavings.
Once you’ve got Chef JP’s Mushroom Couscous Risotto on the table, it is time to finish the rest of your fine Italian vino as this is a good pairing with this special dish.
This should serve two.
THE WORLD IS YOUR OYSTER
Oyster mushrooms are exceptional with their flaring beauty and remind me of peacocks. They are also a delicacy in most fine dining restaurants, but seldom explored to their full potential. Maybe chefs don’t really know how to cook them?
Oyster mushrooms are very fleshy and can be chewy if not prepared correctly. But, fear not, you are in good hands here with a chef that pays attention to detail …
I’ve also done a few oyster mushroom experiments and found that, if you steam them, they go soggy. If you air fry them, they dry out. If you pan fry them, they can’t absorb the butter or oil. So I came up with a solution for this fussy fungi.
Damn, I’m probably giving away too much already, but for you, as my blog followers, this is a very methodical way to treat these beautiful mushrooms.
Slowly grill them on a wood fire to get some smokiness. then, very slowly, dip them in some egg white and dust them in some breadcrumbs and self-raising flour.
Now for the final touch. Deep fry them in good oil until golden brown – in much the same way as we did with the button mushrooms, letting the heat play its natural role. They’ll be crispy on the outside, but still firm and moist within. They will not be chewy at all. Serve with some fresh cucumber
UMAMI MUSHROOM SLIDERS
Sometimes going back to nature gives us the opportunity to reflect and, keeping things simple, here are two wild brown with a variety of mushrooms, just to have some simplistic tasty fun.
This is a little magical gem that I like to serve at room temperature.
Grill your brown mushrooms together with some delicate Shimeji mushroom florets in some butter, olive oil and dried rosemary. Let this cool down. Toast a bun and dress with some iceberg shredded lettuce and some canola mayo for the perfect lunchtime healthy snack.
If you want to beef it up a bit, I have another solution that suits both the carnivore and the vegetarian. Grill two wild brown mushrooms. For the carnivores, serve with a tender medium done fillet with grilled cheese and red peppers. For the vegans, substitute spinach and feta which are the perfect taste (and healthy) combination and bring out all those umami flavours.
In our blog next week Friday, we are getting our hands dirty and picking some more fresh mushrooms out of our magical brown paper bag.
I’m going to make some alternative hearty and healthy mushroom dishes. Like I say, mystery is the art of selective silence, so we will keep you in suspense until next week.
