Remove any dirt from mushrooms with your hands, or small soft brush. (do not use water!)
Slice the stems into enough rounds so that each person has 5 or 6. Keep caps for another dish
Heat about 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over med heat
When hot, add the sliced mushroom stems, a sprinkle of flaky salt, and cook on one side until golden, about 5-7 min. Then flip and cook on the other side until golden. Work in batches or use separate skillets – if you crowd the mushrooms they will steam each other and get soggy
Place the pesto in the microwave on low for a minute or two - until just warm, not hot
To serve, spread about ¼ cup of the warm pesto on a plate
Place 5 or 6 mushroom stems in the pesto, then top with toasted hazelnuts and a few grinds of black pepper
Garnish with parsley and serve
Mushroom “Scallops” + Parsley Pesto
Stunning starter before a light meal
Ingredients
1 lb/500g king oyster mushrooms (Trumpet) - choose ones with fat stems
Olive oil
Flaky sea salt
1 handful of toasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped, for garnish
1 batch Parsley-Spinach Pesto (recipe follows)
A few leaves of parsley, for garnish
Instructions
Remove any dirt from mushrooms with your hands, or small soft brush. (do not use water!)
Slice the stems into enough rounds so that each person has 5 or 6. Keep caps for another dish
Heat about 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over med heat
When hot, add the sliced mushroom stems, a sprinkle of flaky salt, and cook on one side until golden, about 5-7 min. Then flip and cook on the other side until golden. Work in batches or use separate skillets – if you crowd the mushrooms they will steam each other and get soggy
Place the pesto in the microwave on low for a minute or two - until just warm, not hot
To serve, spread about ¼ cup of the warm pesto on a plate
Place 5 or 6 mushroom stems in the pesto, then top with toasted hazelnuts and a few grinds of black pepper
Garnish with parsley and serve
Parsley-Spinach Pesto
Ingredients
1 cup hazelnuts
1 large clove garlic
2 cups flat-leaf parsley, lightly packed (tender stems only)
2 cups baby spinach, lightly packed
Zest of 1 organic lemon
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup water, more if needed
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350º
Toast hazelnuts in oven for 12-15 min or until fragrant and lightly toasted
Remove, set aside and once cool, remove skins by rubbing the hazelnuts together in your hands. (I try to find shelled hazelnuts which makes this a lot easier)
Place all ingredients in a food processor (except water) and pulse for 30 seconds
Add the water and pulse again until it’s thick, but spreadable
Notes
Serves 4
Pesto makes about 2¼ cups