Open-Face Wild Mushroom Provolone Sandwich

10.6.10

I have to say I like the 3rd round challenge (Luxury Dinner Party) FoodBuzz  Blogger Star Contest. I got so many ideas and inspiration. Good job everyone who participated in this contest. It's a lot of work but I'm sure it will pay off!

This dish is created for the Blogger Mushroom Recipe Challenge hosted by Marxfoods, an online gourmet ingredients store. Selected bloggers received dried wild mushroom samples: chanterelle, lobster, matsutake, porcini, and black trumpet mushrooms to create a great recipe out of it. Those mushrooms are hand-foraged from the forests of the Pacific Northwest. They will then put the recipes to a vote on their blog, here, on October 18. If you like my recipe, don't forget to hop over and vote for me! I will be sure to remind you so don't worry if you forget (wink).

The contest prize is 3 shipments of fresh wild mushrooms on the dates of your choosing during the course of the Fall/Winter season. This will put you in an earthy gastronomic heaven!

Dried wild mushrooms from Marxfoods

I chose to work with chanterelle, porcini, and black trumpet mushrooms for my sandwich. Those three types are great even with plain stir-fry and butter. Below is a short description of each selected mushroom from Marxfoods.com

Aroma and flavor of Chanterelle mushrooms are both earthy and fruity, often described as apricot-like. And they have a firm texture.

Porcini mushrooms are valued for their meaty texture, great depth of flavor and distinct shape. They have a classic embellished mushroom shape and large slices. The meat-like texture of Porcini, with its earthy and somewhat nutty flavor is unequaled among mushrooms and lends itself to countless dishes. Dried porcinis have a buttery fragrance.

Black Trumpet mushrooms are fragile and trumpet-shaped with a waxy gray surface. It is a very rich and buttery mushroom. They are popular in French cuisine because of their unique flavor and texture.

When all 3 are combined, you get an earthy buttery flavor- good for a rustic sandwich. Wild mushrooms have a different taste than regular mushrooms. Regular mushrooms have mild flavor in my opinion, while wild mushrooms have a "stop-to-think" flavor. By that I mean, you will stop and think what they are, and the ah-ha moment comes to mind. The sandwich needs a spread or sauce for more flavor. I made an eggplant, tomato, sage & mint puree for a sandwich spread. A provolone cheese and thin sliced heirloom tomato bring all flavors together. A rustic baguette or bread adds a crunchy and rustic texture. Vinegar pickled carrot is a great side dish. A little tangy flavor adds a twist to the sandwich. It's fun to eat crunchy pickled carrots anyway, don't you think?

Rustic baguette/bread

Wild Mushroom with Provolone Cheese Open-Face Sandwich

Yield: 5-6 sandwiches

Ingredients:

6 slices French Baguette (1 baguette can cut to 3 pieces, then to 6 if halved)
8 oz of each dried Chanterelle, Porcini, Black trumpet mushrooms
Provolone cheese
1 splash dry white wine
4 tbs + 6 tbs unsalted butter, divided
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
12 sliced heirloom tomato (about 2 tomatoes)
Radish sprouts for garnish
Eggplant tomato puree (recipe below)
Vinegar pickled baby carrots (recipe below). This can be made ahead of time.

Eggplant Tomato Puree:

Yield: 1 cup

Medium eggplant, peeled, thick sliced
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1 tbs chopped fresh sage
1/2 cup fresh mint
salt and black pepper
Extra virgin olive oil

Eggplant, cherry tomato, and sage before going into the oven

Directions:
Eggplant tomato puree:

• Preheat over to 400F.
• Line foil on a baking sheet
• Place eggplant and tomato in between on a prepared baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle chopped fresh sage and drizzle with olive oil (see photo)
• Bake for 35 mins until roasted and tender.
• When the eggplant is done, remove from oven and let it cool. After it's cool down, add roasted eggplant and tomatoes in a food processor, add mint. Puree it while running olive oil until it becomes like paste and to your desire of thickness (see photo). Taste to correction.

Rehydrate dried mushrooms:

• Rehydrate mushrooms by pouring boiling water on mushrooms on a heat proof bowl to cover. Let it sit 20-30 mins until they become tender. Strain and reserve mushroom if you wish to make a risotto or stock.
• Thickly slice mushrooms that are big. Set aside

• Heat up skillet on medium high heat. Add 4 tbs of butter and 1 tbs oil. When butter is melted and bubbly add mushrooms. Saute them until tender. Season with 1/2 tsp salt and pepper. Add a splash of dry white wine. Saute it until cooked though and wine is evaporated.

Baguette:

• Slightly toast baguette under broiler for a few mins. Take them out and spread butter all over (about 1 tbs per slice). Bring it back in and toast for a few mins until butter melted.

Assemble:

• Spread eggplant tomato puree on toasted baguette about 1/4 thickness. Place mushrooms on top. Place provolone slices on top. Bring it back in the broiler. Broil it until the cheese is getting to melt. Take it out and add sliced tomato ( I added 2 halved slices), then top with sliced provolone cheese. Yes double cheese layer!
• Toast it under broiler until cheese melts. Garnish with radish sprout. Serve with pickled carrots.

Beautiful organic baby carrots

Vinegar Pickled Carrots:

Yield: 1 quart

1 bundle fresh baby carrots
1 cup water
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
6 tbs sugar
2 1/4 tsp salt

Directions:

• Mix everything in a bowl. Pop it in a microwave high heat for 1 min. Just to dissolve sugar. Whisk well. 
• Peel carrots and leave the top green part about 2 inches or so.
• Place carrots in a shallow tray and pour in vinegar mixture. Pickle them in a fridge for at least 1 hr. This can be kept in an air-tight container for weeks. The flavor will become stronger as time goes by.

Re-hydrating dried mushrooms

Roasted eggplant, tomatoes, and sage

  

The puree

Sauted mushrooms

Serve with pickled baby carrot

Want a bite?