Wild Mushroom Toast

 

I remember, back in the day, my mother used to tell my dad that she married him for better or for worse, but not for lunch. Dad would occasionally come home for lunch, leaving my mother quite perplexed. She really found lunches, on the whole, to be rather boring. I feel the same. We tend to get locked into doing what we are used to for lunch rather than trying something new. This recipe makes a wonderful lunch. It’s perfect for Meatless Monday or any day of the week, and will be enjoyed by carnivores and vegetarians alike. You can make the mixture a day ahead, or even earlier in the day, spread it onto the bread, and heat it. Hearty, woodsy, and flavorful.

Wild Mushroom Toast

1 1/2-oz. pkg. Melissa’s dried porcini mushrooms
2 T. olive oil
1 lb. crimini mushrooms, cleaned
1 T. Melissa’s minced garlic
1 T. finely chopped Melissa’s shallots
1 T. cognac
1 T. butter
½ t. kosher salt
1/8 t. freshly ground black pepper
1/8 t. dried rosemary
1/8 t. dried thyme
¼ c. chopped flat leaf parsley
¼ c. grated Parmesan
4 slices rustic bread*

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Soak dried mushrooms in a bowl of hot water to re-hydrate while you slice the crimini mushrooms 1/4” thick. Rinse re-hydrated mushrooms and squeeze to dry.

Over medium high heat, heat a 12” ovenproof skillet until very hot. Add olive oil and fresh mushrooms, and cook, stirring frequently, until mushrooms release their liquid, about 10 minutes; stir in garlic. Add the shallots, cognac, butter, salt, pepper, rosemary, and thyme. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast, for 15 minutes. Serve warm on garlic bread sprinkled with Parmesan.

*I used split ciabatta rolls.

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Wild Mushroom Potato Gratin

As I’ve said before, side dishes can be troublesome, but build up your recipe repertoire with impressive sides and you will dazzle your family and guests.  I’m still cooking for my dad, but happily, my mother has joined him having recently returned home from rehab.  I made this potato recipe along with the pork chops I’ll show you tomorrow, plated them, and served them with a side of broccoli and received high praise.  My mother, who has a bit of difficulty getting to the phone, called me to tell me how good the meal was, “Oh, those POTATOES!” she raved.  (This from a woman who can take them or leave them.)  Thin layers of russet potatoes, sandwiched between a single layer of wild mushrooms, and topped with creamy Fontina and nutty Gruyère make this a dish worth remembering.  I made these one day and served them the next, so while I wouldn’t encourage making them ahead, it can be done, and they are delicious.

Wild Mushroom Potato Gratin

Adapted from a recipe on Epicurious.com

1 .5 oz. package Melissa’s dried porcini mushrooms
5 large, fresh crimini mushrooms, trimmed and sliced 1/4 inch thick

8 oz. warm water

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 lb. russet potatoes
3/4 cups heavy cream
3/4 cups whole milk
3/4 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
½ cup grated Gruyère

½ cup grated Fontina

Preheat oven to 400°F.  Line a 9” x 9” square pan with two sheets of parchment, allowing each piece to hang over the edge of the pan by about two inches.  Spray parchment with Pam.  Set aside.

Hydrate the mushrooms in the warm water for 1 hour.  Line a fine mesh sieve with two layers of cheesecloth and strain the rehydrated mushrooms, reserving liquid.* Rough chop the porcinis.

Melt butter in a medium sauté pan.  Cook criminis with salt and pepper to taste over moderate heat, stirring, until liquid mushrooms give off is evaporated and mushrooms are tender, about 6 minutes, then toss in the porcinis and cook 1-2 minutes more. Add ½ teaspoon of the garlic and continue to cook, stirring for one minute more.  Set aside.

Peel potatoes and cut crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick slices (preferably with an adjustable-blade slicer). Bring potatoes, cream, milk, salt, white pepper, nutmeg, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon garlic to a boil in a 4- to 6-quart heavy pot, stirring once or twice, then remove from heat.

Transfer half of potatoes to parchment-lined pan with a slotted spoon, spreading evenly. Spread mushrooms evenly over potatoes, then top with remaining potatoes. Pour cooking liquid over potatoes and sprinkle with cheeses.

Bake gratin until top is golden brown and potatoes are tender, 45 to 50 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes to set.  Using the edges of the parchment paper, carefully lift potatoes from pan and move to a cutting board.  

With a 3” round, metal biscuit cutter, cut out rounds.  Top each with a sprig of thyme.

 If you prefer not to cut rounds, then just bake the potatoes in the casserole dish of your choice.

*You will not need the liquid for this recipe, but you will need it for the delicious and simple recipe I’ll be sharing for pork chops tomorrow.  But whether you decide to make the pork chops or not, never discard the wonderful liquid that is obtained through the hydration of dried mushrooms.  Put it in the fridge for 1-2 days if you don’t have an immediate need, or label it and freeze it.  It is a wonderful vegetarian substitute for beef stock, enhances soups and stews, and does wonderful things to gravies.

This post is linked to:

Seasonal Sunday

Meatless Monday

On the Menu Monday

Metamorphosis Monday

Wow Us Wednesday

Tutorial Tips & Tidbits

Prosciutto-Wrapped Pork Loin with Roasted Apples

My husband is the one who receives Bon Appetit magazine every month, so I generally leave it up to him to peruse each issue, scouting out recipes for us to try.  But this month I was struck by the wonderful prosciutto-wrapped roast on the cover and decided without even opening up the issue that I was going to try it.

It is not difficult to do, but it is time consuming.  It involves butterflying a roast (something I'd never done before, but found it to be a breeze), making a filling, rolling the roast, wrapping it in prosciutto and trussing it (something I learned to do by going on You Tube). As you can see from the picture, it makes an elegant, showy meal.  It is also a very good one.  The plus is that the roast can be assembled one day and roasted the next.  The only thing I'd change about this recipe is to substitute a cup of slivered leeks for the onion in the filling.  Leeks are an excellent accompaniment to pork and, in my opinion, have a much better flavor.

The recipe can be found in the current issue of Bon Appetit, online at epicurious.com, or below.  What follows is a step-by-step photo tutorial in case you'd like to give it a whirl.

Our pork roast was a little less than 1-1/2 pounds, so I cut the filling recipe in half.

A sharp knife is the key to butterflying a roast. Begin with the knife in this position.

As you slice, continue to unroll the roast.

The roast should look like this when you've finished.

Cover with a sheet of plastic wrap and flatten with a mallet.

The stuffing ingredients all mixed together and ready to be spread on the roast.

First a layer of blanched kale.

Top the kale with the stuffing and smooth almost to the edges.

Roll up tightly and place seam side down on the cutting board or counter.

Wrap with thin layers of prosciutto.

Truss with kitchen twine and slip sprigs of fresh rosemary beneath twine.

Sear on all sides.

Place on a bed of apples, pour sauce all around and roast in the oven.

Pat yourself on the back and admire your beautiful roast.

Prosciutto-Wrapped Pork Loin with Roasted Apples


1 ounce (1 cup) dried whole porcini mushrooms
2 ounces (3/4 cup) dried apples
1 pound kale, bottom stems trimmed
2 teaspoons kosher salt plus more
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup minced onion
1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary
2 tablespoons brandy or Calvados
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound ground pork

Pork
 1 (trimmed) 2 1/2 to 3-lb. pork loin
1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more for seasoning
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper plus more for seasoning
3 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto
5 sprigs rosemary
4 medium apples (such as Granny Smith or Fuji), quartered, or 8 small apples, halved
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup dry hard cider
1/2 cup low-salt chicken stock

Preparation: Filling

Place dried mushrooms and dried apples in separate small bowls. Add 1 cup boiling water to each bowl. Let mushrooms and apples soak until very soft, about 30 minutes. Strain mushrooms. Cover and chill soaking liquid (about 3/4 cup). Drain apples, discarding soaking liquid. Finely chop mushrooms and apples, combine in a small bowl, and set mushroom and apple mixture aside.
Meanwhile, blanch kale in boiling salted water just until wilted, about 1 minute. Using tongs, transfer kale to a rimmed baking sheet. Refrigerate until cool. Remove any large, tough ribs.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion; cook, stirring often, until soft and lightly golden, about 8 minutes. Add mushrooms and apples; cook, stirring occasionally, until flavors meld, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, thyme, and rosemary; cook for 1 minute. Add brandy and cook until liquid is absorbed, about 1 minute. Stir in 2 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Transfer mixture to a bowl and let cool completely. Add ground pork and stir to combine well.

Preparing the Pork Roast

To butterfly, put pork loin on a work surface with short end facing you. Holding a long, thin sharp knife parallel to work surface and beginning along one long side, cut 1/2" above underside of roast. Continue slicing inward, pulling back the meat with your free hand and unrolling the roast like a carpet, until the entire loin is flat. Cover with a sheet of plastic wrap. Using a meat mallet, pound to an even thickness.

Uncover pork. Season with 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Place kale leaves on top of loin in an even layer, overlapping as needed and leaving a 1" border. Spread filling on top of kale. Roll pork into a tight cylinder. Wrap one layer of prosciutto around roast. Tie roast securely with kitchen twine in 1" intervals. Tuck rosemary sprigs under twine, spacing apart. DO AHEAD: Pork roast can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour before continuing.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place apples in a roasting pan. Melt 1 Tbsp. butter with oil in a large skillet. Brown pork on all sides, about 5 minutes total, then set on top of apples in pan. Add cider and 1/2 cup water to skillet and bring to a boil, scraping up browned bits. Pour mixture into roasting pan. Roast pork until an instant-read thermometer inserted into center of loin registers 140 degrees F (it will be cooked medium but still slightly pink), about 1 hour 40 minutes. Let roast rest for at least 20 minutes and up to 2 hours.
Put roast on a platter. Reserve apples from roasting pan; spoon off fat from juices in pan. Place pan on top of stove over medium-high heat. Add chicken stock. Pour in reserved mushroom liquid, leaving any sediment behind, and cook, scraping bottom of pan to release any browned bits, until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Whisk in remaining 2 Tbsp. butter and season to taste with salt and pepper. Strain sauce; slice pork. Serve sauce and apples alongside sliced pork.