Hummus with Maiitake & Oyster Mushrooms

Hummus with Maiitake & Oyster Mushrooms

Serves 6 

Hummus with Maiitake & Oyster Mushrooms

This basic hummus recipe is super smooth and rich in tahini augmented with cumin and a lot of lemon. But, it should be regarded as a sublime base – use as is – or enhance with toppings of your choice. I chose Hummus with Maiitake and Oyster Mushrooms for this recipe. The silky, cumin-laced hummus gets a contrasting texture and a savory boost from the tangle of mushrooms on top. But, you could certainly serve the hummus alone with a drizzle of olive oil, or turn it into a very substantial meal with the addition kawarma (lamb) & lemon (for a future blog!)

Political and nationalistic discussions about hummus – where it started and how; who first added sesame paste, crushed chickpeas – are endless. Many feel that it was the Egyptian Arabs who first made hummus, though celebrated Jewish author Meir Shalev feels there is clear evidence that Jews ate hummus in biblical times. Regardless of origin, one is still left with who makes the best hummus now. Top quality tahini is a key ingredient. This paste is made from ground, hulled sesame seeds. It is creamy, oily and smooth with a nut butter consistency and rich in calcium. Look for tahini in a glass jar or can, in the ethnic food aisle of your grocer or in health food stores. You can also find fresh tahini in the refrigerator section next to the prepared hummus in larger well-stocked grocers.

This recipe is a good springboard to begin your quest of the best hummus. You will be amazed how truly simple it is to make – to the point of wondering why you would ever opt for grocery store hummus of questionable age and ingredients.

 

Key ingredients

For Hummus:

• ¼ C dried chickpeas
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 6½ C water
• 1 C plus 2 Tb tahini paste
• Juice from 2-3 large lemons
• 1 preserved lemon, rinsed and finely chopped  (optional; see http://cookingwithlarue.blogspot.com/2012_09_01_archive.html or can purchase at the grocery store)
• 1 tsp cumin
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 6½ Tb ice-cold water
• Salt

For Mushroom topping:

• 1 C pine nuts
• 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more
• Canola oil, for frying
• 1 lb thinly sliced mushrooms, oyster and maiitake mix
• Kosher salt
• Parsley, chopped for garnish (garnish)
• Sweet paprika, for garnish
• Olive oil for garnish

To make hummus: The night before, put the dried chickpeas in a large bowl and cover them with cold water at least twice their volume. Leave to soak overnight.

 

Soak the chickpeas overnight

The next day, drain the chickpeas. Place a medium saucepan over high heat and add the drained chickpeas and baking soda. Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the water, optional ¼ of the chopped preserved lemon and bring to a boil. Watch carefully so it does not boil over. Cook, skimming off any foam and any skins that float to the surface. The chickpeas will need to cook between 20 and 40 minutes, depending on type and freshness. Once done, they should be very tender, breaking up easily when pressed between your fingers, almost but not quite mushy.

Drain the chickpeas. You should have roughly 3½ C now. Place the cooked chickpeas in a food processor and process until you get a stiff paste. With the machine running, add the tahini paste, fresh lemon juice, and remainder of the preserved lemon, cumin, garlic and 2 tsp salt. Finally, slowly drizzle in the iced water and allow it to mix for about 5 minutes, until you get a very smooth and creamy paste.

Chopped preserved lemons....these are homemade, but now can be purchased

In the food processor and ready to blend

Smooth consistency after processing

Transfer the hummus to a bowl, cover the surface with plastic wrap, and let it rest for at least 30 minutes. If refrigerating, make sure to take it out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before serving.

To make Mushrooms:

Heat oven to 300 degree F. Toss pine nuts and olive oil in a bowl until evenly coated. Transfer to a baking sheet; bake, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Set aside.

 

Toasted pine nuts

Pour canola oil to a depth of 2 inches in a 6 qt Dutch oven; heat over medium-high heat until a deep fry thermometer reads 350 degree F. Working in batches, add mushrooms, and fry until crisp, about 4 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain and season immediately with kosher salt.

 

Sliced oyster mushrooms

Frying the mushrooms

Spread hummus on bottom of a serving dish, forming a shallow well in the center; fill well with fried mushrooms and pine nuts. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and paprika and drizzle with olive oil.  Serve with pita or flat bread to accolades.

Hummus can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days or frozen for future use. It can be eaten as described here or simply spread on a plate, drizzled with your favorite high quality finishing olive oil, and eaten with a pita or bread.

Larue

This recipe was adapted from “Jerusalem: A Cookbook” by Yotam Ottolenghi & Sami Tamimi

Wild Mushroom & Blue Cheese Galette

Wild Mushroom & Blue Cheese Galette 

Serves: 6

This is special – rustic AND elegant at the same time.  Also a great time to grab those fresh mushrooms you have been meaning to try. Now, about the funk, or should I say, fungi: with over a pound of wild mushrooms and five ounces of blue cheese, this is not a recipe for feeble palated. That I managed to find a blend with an especially pungent bouquet — a gigantic fresh porcini, a few ounces of bunapi champignon (a new discovery, and possible favorite), oyster and shiitake — didn’t reduce the overall olfactory impact, either.

While the recipe is on the fussy side — freezing flour, rolling out sticky dough and then pushing back the finish time even further by cooling the filling first — not a one of these steps does anything but improve the outcome. I think of this like a great side dish for a dinner party; it’s rustic enough that it won’t upstage any rack of lamb or Thanksgiving turkey, but intense enough that it will get the affection it deserves.

Galette is a French term that refers to a variety of flat round cakes, usually made with flaky pastry dough of some kind that can be sweet or savory. I love them. These “tarts” are not molded in tart pans. Instead, filling is placed directly on top of a sheet of rolled out pastry and the edges of that pastry are folded up and around the filling. The tart becomes crisp during baking and the galette, as a whole, manages to be both rustic and elegant at the same time. There are no galette rules or galette police – so feel free to shape them however you want.

For the pastry:

• 1¼ C all-purpose flour
• ¼ tsp salt
• 8 Tb (1 cube) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• ¼ C sour cream
• 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
• ¼ C ice water 

For the filling:

• ¼ ounce dried wild mushrooms, such as chanterelle, porcini or shiitakes
• 1 C boiling water
• 2 Tb unsalted butter
• ¾ C sliced green onions
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• ½ tsp chopped fresh rosemary
• ½ tsp chopped fresh thyme
• ½ lb assorted fresh wild mushrooms, such as chanterelles, porcini, shiitake or bunapi, brushed clean and large mushrooms thinly sliced.
• ½ lb fresh button mushrooms, brushed clean and thinly sliced
• 5 ounces Stilton or other good-quality blue cheese
• Glaze: 1 egg yolk beaten with 1 tsp water
• Coarse finishing salt

(For photos on how to make the pastry, see my December posting on a vegetable galette. The method is identical: http://cookingwithlarue.blogspot.com/2013/12/vegetable-galette.html.)

To make the pastry, in a bowl, combine the flour and salt. Place the butter in another bowl. Place both bowls in the freezer for one hour. Remove the bowls from the freezer and make a well in the center of the flour. Add the butter to the well and, using a pastry fork or blender, cut it in until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Make another well in the center. In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream, lemon juice and water and add half of this mixture to the well. With your fingertips, mix in the liquid until large lumps form. Remove the large lumps and repeat with the remaining liquid and flour-butter mixture. Pat the lumps into a ball; do not overwork the dough. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, make the filling: Place the dried mushrooms in a small bowl and add the boiling water. Let stand for 30 minutes until softened. Drain the mushrooms and mince finely.

 

Three types of mushrooms

Preheat oven to 400 degree F.

In a large sauté pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the green onions and sauté, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic, rosemary and thyme and continue to cook, stirring, for 1 minute more. Increase the heat to high; add the fresh and rehydrated mushrooms, and sauté until the mushrooms are tender and the liquid they released has completely evaporated, 8-10 minutes. Transfer to a plate and let cool.

 

Sauteeing the mushrooms

On a floured work surface, roll out the dough into a 12-inch round. Transfer to an ungreased baking sheet. Crumble the blue cheese into a bowl, add the cooled mushrooms and stir well.  Spread the mixture over the dough, leaving a 1½ -inch border. Fold the border over the mushrooms and cheese, pleating the edge to make it fit. The center will be open. Brush crust with egg yolk glaze. Sprinkle glaze with a small amount of coarse finishing salt.

 

Ready for the oven!

Bake until golden brown, 30-40 minutes. Remove from the oven, let stand for 5 minutes, and then slide the galette onto a serving plate. Cut into wedges and serve hot, warm or at room temperature. I loved it with a full fruity red wine such as a Syrah or Zinfandel.

 

Ready to eat

Bon Appetit

Larue

Olive Oil Braised Veggies

Olive Oil Braised Veggies

Serves 4-6

Olive Oil Braised Veggies

Slow-braising vegetables has intrigued me for some time. I previously posted an interesting approach to braising asparagus (cookingwithlarue.blogspot.com/2012/02/braised-asparagus.html). Today was the day to try it. It changes everything. Braising isn’t just for meat.  The gentle cooking method, which calls for a small amount of liquid, low heat and a covered pot, can be used for a variety of veggies, as well. You can also reduce the flavorful cooking liquid and use it as an accompanying sauce. This is only one take on braising vegetables.  Others could certainly be added or substituted such as leeks, celery or fennel.

Stars of the show!

• 1 C extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 Tb anchovy paste
• ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 8 sun-dried tomatoes, thinly sliced lengthwise
• 6 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed with side of a knife
• 6 sprigs rosemary
• 1 lemon, ends trimmed, thinly sliced crosswise, seeds removed
• 1 large zucchini, cut diagonally into 1½” long pieces
• 1 lb baby Yukon Gold or new potatoes
• 1 medium head broccoli, cut into florets, stalk cut into large pieces
• ½ medium head cauliflower, cut into florets, stalk cut into large pieces
• 2 Tb finely chopped parsley
• 2 sprigs marjoram, stems removed
• Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper

Put olive oil, anchovy paste, chile flakes, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, rosemary, and lemon slices in 6 qt Dutch oven. Place over medium-high heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and the garlic and the lemon slices are lightly browned, about 5 minutes.

Veggies in the pot

Slow cooked with the lemon slides

Add the zucchini in a single layer and cook, without stirring, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Flip the zucchini, and cook for 5 minutes more. Add the potatoes, broccoli, and cauliflower to the pot and stir once or twice to coat in oil.  Cook, covered, without stirring, until the vegetables begin to brown and soften, about 30 minutes.

 

Now add in the zucchini slices

Remove the vegetables from the heat, and stir in parsley and marjoram. Season to taste with salt and pepper. It's a great side dish and addition to any meal.

Bon Appetit!

Larue