Earthy, chewy, meat like, with a rich smoothness imparted from olive oil, highlighted, and sharpened with good sea salt, the flavor of Oven Fried Shitake mushrooms is an addiction worth having. Recently I started buying big bags of perfect Shitakes to prepare them to eat in their simplest form I came up with this idea. Why not just slice them like a vegetable, a French fry if you will, paint them with olive oil, season with sea salt and oven fry them!
In these food abundant times there is a plethora of mushrooms available. At my local Whole Foods Market , I give thanks to whoever the mushroom buyer is because Whole Foods stocks the largest, meatiest, most perfect Shitake Mushrooms on a consistent basis.
Shitake Mushrooms were introduced fresh from Japan, where mushrooms ‘reign supreme’ as they say on that kitchi show Iron Chef. In Japan, there are many varieties of mushrooms, such as Maitake, Matsutake etc… Shitake is the most widely used Asian mushroom in the US and are delicious in Asian dishes, stir fry, soup, barbecue, or sauces. The possibilities are endless.
8 super large Shitake mushrooms
4 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt
Purchase the largest mushrooms you can find. Look for firm Shitakes with caps that curve slightly under and are not broken on the edges. Do not buy mushrooms that have damp spots on them or smell fishy.
Preheat your oven to 350º. Carefully wipe off the mushroom caps with a damp cloth. Using a kitchen shears, cut the stem of the mushroom off at the cap. Shitake stems are woody and not edible.
Then, using a sharp knife cut the mushrooms lengthwise into one half inch slices. Toss the mushroom fries with olive oil. Next place the mushrooms on a baking sheet or shallow roasting pan. Do not crowd them; make sure they are single file. Sprinkle with sea salt to your taste. Roast the mushrooms in a 350º oven for about 10-15 minutes. Check on the mushrooms and remove them when the white meat is golden and the olive is bubbling.
Use this as a side dish for any meal. I count at least one mushroom per person. Leftovers are good cold or hot, in a sandwich or in a salad.
Although I’m not a big fan of mushrooms, I have to agree with you about the shitake variety. They do tasty earthy and meaty and substantial, and the texture is far more appealling and appetizing to me than those little button mushrooms. I’ve oven baked them with other veggies (peppers, carrots, zucchini, potatoes, parsnips), but neve ron their own, so I’m going to try this easy-peasy recipe out the next time I find some shitakes in the shops (not many shops have them on a regular basis here). Oh, and have you ever noticed that shitake mushrooms give you the most vivid dreams?