Oyster mushrooms are such a delight to find. Their soft, delicate shapes emerging from a nurse log is nothing less than mystical, and a simple preparation on toast feels like an ideal way to enjoy these special fungi. This recipe that is mentioned in The Complete Mushroom Hunter book by Gary Lincoff is a great one to try.
The first thing you'll want to do is clean the mushrooms thoroughly. Insects love to hang out in the gills of oysters, so soaking them briefly in water to evict any bugs that are taking up residence is often a necessary step. After you've soaked the mushrooms, dry them thoroughly before cooking.
Once your mushrooms are clean and dry, make a simple marinade of lemon zest, crushed garlic, fresh thyme, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and urfa pepper.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Remove the mushroom stems, as they are typically too chewy to enjoy. Cut the mushrooms into large chunks.
Dip the mushrooms quickly into the marinade, and then place them gills down on a baking sheet.
Cook the mushrooms for about 10 minutes on each side, or until they start to turn a bit golden.
Remove from the oven, let them cool a bit, and then chop coarsely.
While mushrooms are cooling, toast your sourdough.
Spread a good quality goat cheese on the toast, and then pile on the chopped mushrooms.
If desired, add micro-greens or any other garnish that is desired.
Enjoy!
Ingredient recap
A large handful of fresh oyster mushrooms, cleaned
Fresh goat cheese
Crusty sourdough bread
One large lemon, juiced and zested
One garlic clove, crushed
A few fresh springs of thyme
Olive oil
Salt
Urfa pepper
Micro-greens, such as radish (optional)