Mushroom Madness

Ever since we decided to reduce the amount of meat we eat, we prepare mushroom recipes more often than before. Naturally, since there are so many types of mushrooms out there, we try to diversify the dishes as much as possible.

Only last week, I told you about our mushroom meatballs and a little while back about a delicious Mushroom Wellington.

So when I found some beautiful king oyster mushrooms, I just couldn't resist the temptation of making another meatless dinner. There are many ways in which you can cook king oyster mushrooms, but I fried them, and I have accompanied them with another layer of mushrooms.

I served everything on a bed of mashed potatoes, and that is why I decided to call the dish a Mushroom Madness.

Without further ado, here is what you should do:

• The first thing you want to start with is making the sauce. Thus, peel one onion and the carrot. Chop them, along with the celery stick and zucchini, and place them, plus the garlic on an oven tray lined with baking paper. Drizzle the olive oil, salt, and pepper over them and coat everything.

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• Put the tray in the preheated oven at 230 degrees Celsius (425 F) and cook for 25-30 minutes.
• When ready, take the tray out and let the veggies rest for a few minutes.
• In the meantime, let's focus on the next steps. First of all, peel the potatoes, chop them into 2-3 cm pieces and place them in a pot. Boil the potatoes in salted water for 20-25 minutes or until tender.
• Now, let's finish the sauce. Take a saucepan and pour the olive oil in there. Chop the remaining onion and cook it for 3-5 minutes. Pour in the canned tomatoes, the cognac and simmer for 5-7 minutes. Transfer the baked veggies (except the garlic) to the saucepan and continue cooking for another 5 minutes.
• Transfer the mixture into a blender and pulse until you get a nice smoothie texture sauce.
• Using a sieve, return the composition to the saucepan and heat it up.

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• Take 3 tbsp of the hot sauce and place it in a bowl. Combine it with the cornstarch and return everything to the saucepan.

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• Stir to combine and keep everything on low heat for another minute. Give it a taste and season with salt and pepper, then let it rest.
• Next, let's see how to cut king oyster mushrooms. I personally prefer to do it vertically and create 3-4 slices out of each mushroom.
• Heat up 2 tbsp of olive oil in the pan and fry your slices for 1-2 minutes on each side or until nice and golden—season with salt and pepper before flipping them on the other side.

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• When ready, take your fried king oyster mushrooms out on a plate and let them rest.
• Finely chop the remaining onion. Pour the remaining olive oil into the pan and cook them for 3-5 minutes or until soft and translucent.
• Chop the portobello mushrooms into 2-3 cm pieces and add them to the pan. Let them reduce in size on medium heat. This should not take more than 3 minutes.

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• Grate the garlic cloves and season them with salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, and the fresh thyme. Stir to combine, add the Worcestershire sauce plus the butter, and let it cook for another minute or so.

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• Take it off the heat and let it rest.

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• The final step is to prepare the mashed potatoes.
• In a small saucepan, heat up the milk and the butter on medium heat until the butter is completely melted.
• Drain the water used for boiling the potatoes. Using a potato masher, mash your potatoes good. You don't want any big parts in there.
• Peel the baked garlic and bring it over the potatoes. Gently pour the milk-butter mixture and stir to combine—season with salt to taste and be ready to serve.
• Place 2-3 tbsp mashed potatoes on a plate. Take 2-3 slices of the fried king oyster mushrooms, top them with the mushroom saute and finish with the sauce.
• Repeat the process for the other plates and serve immediately.

That's it. Nothing more to it. Just a simple yet delicious meal, perfect for a weeknight dinner.

Now, for the wiki facts, I won't keep you too much. I will just tell you that king oyster mushrooms grow in the Mediterranean area as well as the Middle East and North Asia.

The beautiful thing about them is the umami taste they develop once cooked.

* If you want to keep the dish 100% vegan, just replace the butter and milk with non-dairy ones.

** Don't forget to tag us on Instagram when preparing this recipe.