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Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Open-Face Wild Mushroom Provolone Sandwich

10.6.10

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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!

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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?

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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

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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.

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    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.

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    Re-hydrating dried mushrooms


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    Roasted eggplant, tomatoes, and sage
      
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    The puree

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    Sauted mushrooms

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    Serve with pickled baby carrot



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    Want a bite?






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    31 comments:

    denise @ quickies on the dinner table said...

    Oh my word! That looks gorgeous Tanantha - I don't like carrots but you're making that one look scrumptious LOL The plate is beautiful too :)

    The mushrooms you used sound so exotic to me, all I can do is imagine and salivate over this scrumptious sandwich *sigh*

    I really like the inclusion of the eggplant tomato puree. And, of course I will vote for you!

    Roxan said...

    T, a most excellent dish, as always! I LOVE LOVE LOVE mushrooms. and that spread you made looks like such a perfect addition to the sandwich. Is that a huge cutting board that you have? I'm so jealous! I have a teeny cutting board right now. When I move to a bigger place I plan on getting the biggest cutting board i can find.

    Lazaro Cooks said...

    T,

    Lovely layered sandwich. The presentation is gorgeous. Great job infusing flavor on so many level. The eggplant puree sounds wonderful with the sage & mint.

    The vinegar pickled carrots round out the dish. Very impressive!

    lequan said...

    Dang Tanantha! This is too much sexy so early in the morning for me, lol! Seriously, I don't think you could make this sandwich any better looking or taste any better. This, my friend is a perfected sandwich. I am totally foaming at the mouth right now. I LOVE mushrooms! And what a great idea to make an eggplant tomato purée for the sauce. You definitely have my vote, girl! Job well done! Excuse me as I wipe off my foamy mouth now.

    LeQuanis ;-) said...

    PS
    YES to pickled carrots! And I forgot to say that I love the pictures too!

    Magic of Spice said...

    This is my king of sandwich...Love these flavors, and so pretty :) And that puree sounds fantastic...

    Biren @ Roti n Rice said...

    I much prefer open face sandwiches as I like how they look. Your sandwich is mouth-watering with all those wild mushrooms. The tomato eggplant pureee sounds delicious as well.

    Evan @swEEts said...

    So I pretty much love everything about this.. mushrooms are my fave as well as eggplant.. I could totally eat this for dinner tonight!

    Sortachef said...

    Mmm. I do love mushrooms. And I do love a good hot sandwich - growing up as I did on the east coast. To put them together in a vegetarian offering is inspirational... Thanks!

    Mo said...

    Your sandwich is gorgeous, Tanantha! I do hope you win, because even I, someone who typically dislikes mushrooms, know that wild mushrooms are amazing. :)

    I'm off to vote for you! <3

    Mo said...

    Oh, whoops, I read your post wrong. Can't vote yet. :P I'm off to wait to vote for you!

    Stella said...

    Sheesh! That does look delicious, Tanantha! And I love your choice of mushrooms-they all sound so nice together.
    You know, Marx Foods sent me a nice big box of mushrooms a while back. I still need to do something with them. Hmm...

    Monet said...

    What a wonderful post...one, because you are both a great chef and writer...two, because I adore mushrooms and this sandwich made me want to just melt into a pile of cheesy mushroom goodness. Thanks for sharing so many exotic mushrooms with me! Such a fabulous recipe!

    Unknown said...

    Great selection of mushrooms. I totally agree with your "stop and think" comment about wild mushrooms. This is a wonderfully composed sandwich and the pickled carrots on the side sound like the perfect crunchy compliment!

    Angie's Recipes said...

    OMG! I love this open sandwich! That looks so SEXY!!

    Vanessa Diego said...

    YEs!!! I want a BIte!!!!!I am a sandwich lover!!! And I am drooling over this!!!

    You are making me go grocery shopping 7 start making this dish!!!
    Thanks for sharing girl!!

    Vanessa Diego said...

    YEs!!! I want a Bite!!!!!I am a sandwich lover!!! And I am drooling over this!!!

    You are making me go grocery shopping & start making this dish!!!
    Thanks for sharing girl!!

    Anonymous said...

    Oh my! That looks fantastic!!! YUM! I love mushrooms and could definitely eat it on bread like that, nomnoms to the tenth degree!

    Unknown said...

    Tanantha, this sandwich is a beauty and I definitely want a least one bite and probably a few more after that! The mushrooms sound heavenly with all the other flavors you've added here and don't forget the pickled carrot, beautiful and delicious:)

    Anonymous said...

    That is one awesome sandwich! I love the sound of the eggplant tomato puree!

    Chef Dennis Littley said...

    wow, now thats a gorgeous sandwich Tanantha!! I love mushrooms and if you put cheese on just about anything I'll eat it, using it on foods I love only makes them that much better!! You have such a great combination of flavors on that sandwich, I love the eggplant puree!!

    ~Lisa~ said...

    Tanantha! What a delicious sandwich. Beautiful and tasty (=

    Magdalena said...

    Yummm! You know that I love forest mushrooms and dried mushrooms are extremely popular in Poland. I have to try to use some Polish mushrooms in your recipe :)Kind regards!

    Nancy said...

    You've got to win! This is one of the best sandwiches in the world. All of the spices, cheeses, and mushrooms oh my. drooooollllllinnng:)

    FOODESSA said...

    Tanantha...I'd probably be doing a little begging right about now ;o)...looks so scrumptious!
    Love the union of these flavours coming together ;o)

    Flavourful wishes,
    Claudia

    Le said...

    Oooo this looks so good :) Every component is mouth watering...I'm starting to really miss having an oven right about now.

    Quay Po Cooks said...

    Only one word to describe this sanwich!! WOW!!

    blackbookkitchendiaries said...

    this is so beautiful! i love it. thank you for sharing.

    Anonymous said...

    This looks amazing! I rarely make open-faced sandwiches. Not sure why now :) Thanks for the inspiration!

    She's Cookin' said...

    Yes,I most definitely want a bite! I can taste all those earthy flavors - eggplant, wild mushrooms, double cheese = heavenly!

    Jessie said...

    I just voted for you! What a beautiful sandwich! I have to say, I'm a big fan of chantrelle and porcini mushrooms, but I've never tried the trumpet mushrooms. I'll have to look for them so I can try your recipe! Well done, Tanantha!

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