Oyster Mushroom + Pickled Asparagus Toast

This recipe is courtesy of our friend Olivia over at IG: @liv_3kurtz

The good news about R&R cultivation mushrooms is that they’re always in season! Better yet, they pair well with the seasonality of other ingredients, such as asparagus and ramps (or, green onions if you can’t get your hands on ramps this season). The prolific and versatile oyster mushroom in this recipe is chopped, cooked, seasoned and deglazed with a little bit of balsamic vinegar for zip. It sits on top of a toasty piece of bread, slathered with herby butter and garnished with pickled asparagus and shallots to round out every notch of flavor. This is such a flavorful and bright spring recipe to add to your repertoire. 

Oyster Mushroom and Pickled Asparagus Toast Recipe

4 servings (4 pieces of toast)  

• Pickled asparagus and shallots:
• 1 bundle / 1# asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2 to 4 inch stalks 
• 1 shallot, thinly sliced (sliced white parts of ramps would work well here)  
• 1.5 c water
• 1/2 c. white vinegar
• 1/4 c. apple cider vinegar 
• 1 tbsp. salt
• 1 tsp. sugar
• Whipped herb and allium butter:
• 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature 
• 1/4 tsp. salt 
• Cracked black pepper 
• Greens of 3 green onions, thinly sliced (sliced green parts of ramps would work well here) 
• 2 tbsp. chopped cilantro or parsley or other preferred green leafy herb 
• 1/2 # of R&R oyster mushrooms, chopped into a medium dice with tougher ends of stems removed 
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. cracked black pepper
• 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1/8 tsp. garlic powder 
• 1/8 tsp. coriander 
• 1 tbsp. water
• 1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar 
• 4 slices of bread, toasted 
• Olive oil or avocado oil for cooking oyster mushrooms
  
  

Steps

1. Start by quick pickling your asparagus and shallots. Bring water, vinegars, salt and sugar to a boil and stir until dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes. Meanwhile, add your trimmed asparagus and sliced shallots to a glass jar with a fitted lid. Once the pickling liquid has cooled for a few minutes, pour over your asparagus and shallots until they’re fully submerged. These will keep in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Pickle for at least 30 minutes. 
2. If using an herbed allium butter, whip together butter, salt, pepper, green onions and cilantro with a spatula or in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Whip until pale yellow and all ingredients have fully combined. Set aside. Plain or salted butter will also work here. 
3. Next, toast your slices of bread to your liking either plain or with a drizzle of olive oil. Set aside. 
4. Once your pickled asparagus and shallots, butter and toasted bread have been made, move on to cooking your oyster mushrooms. 
5. Heat a cast iron (for deeper golden color) or non-stick skillet over medium–high heat. Once pre-heated, add a few tablespoons of olive or avocado oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Add your diced oyster mushrooms and toss to coat in the oil. Cook for 8 minutes, watching them so they don’t burn and stirring only occasionally with a wooden spoon. Some will stick to the bottom but will later be released when deglazing the pan. Once browned, add your spice mixture of salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, and coriander to the pan. Bloom until fragrant, approximately one minute. 
6. Turn your heat to low and add one tablespoon of water and one tablespoon of balsamic vinegar. Stir to release any fond and allow mushrooms to soak up the liquid. Remove from heat after liquid has been absorbed. This step should take approximately one minute. 
7. Take your quick pickled asparagus and thinly slice on a bias. Remove desired amount of sliced shallots from the pickling liquid. 
8. Assemble your toasts by smearing about a tablespoon of the butter mixture to each slice of bread. Top with cooked mushrooms and garnish with pickled asparagus and shallots. Drizzle with good olive oil and flaky sea salt. Enjoy!