Co-chefs Nicolaus Balla and Cortney Burns have made fermented and pickled foods a defining part of their menu at Bar Tartine, and these Pickled Mushrooms from their newly released cookbook, Bar Tartine: Techniques and Recipes, deliver on their promise of enjoyableness. Whole button mushrooms are first roasted, then pickled in a garlicky, paprika-laced paste (the paprika giving them a "strong Hungarian accent," as they say in the headnote). Slightly sweet with brown sugar and invigorated with lemon zest and herbs, these mushrooms are no two-note pickle. They have a complexity of flavor that lets them stand on their own as a snack or side. They come together quickly with store-bought substitutions, or you can go the scenic route and make the red wine vinegar, dried marjoram, sweet paprika, sweet onion powder, and garlic powder. I can only imagine they'd taste even better with a hefty splash of self-satisfaction.
Notes: It's important to note that their measurement of salt is based specifically on the use of Diamond brand kosher salt; even other kosher salts have different weights by volume, so the amounts would not be the same.
There was one small oversight within the recipe: only one of the two tablespoons of oil in the ingredient list are accounted for in the body of the recipe (tossed with the mushrooms before roasting). I assume the other tablespoon is added to the brine.
Unlike many of their pickles, these only have to hang out in the brine for 2 hours before they're ready to nosh. However, the longer the flavors have to meld and mellow, the better; I thought that they really hit their stride after about 2 days.
Recipe Details
Pickled Mushrooms From 'Bar Tartine'
Ingredients
1 pound (455g) button mushrooms
2 tablespoons filtered sunflower or grapeseed oil
3 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 cup (60ml) red wine vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh marjoram or 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
2 tablespoons sweet paprika, powdered
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
2 teaspoons sweet onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Minced zest of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C. In a large roasting pan, combine the mushrooms with 1 tbsp of the oil and 1 1/2 tsp of the salt and toss to coat. Roast until tender, about 10 minutes.
In a large bowl, combine the vinegar, garlic, parsley, marjoram, paprika, brown sugar, onion powder, garlic powder, lemon zest, pepper, and the remaining 1 1/2 tsp salt and mix well. Add the warm mushrooms and stir and toss to coat the mushrooms evenly. Chill the mushrooms completely in the refrigerator before serving, about 2 hours. Transfer the mushrooms and brine to one or more nonreactive containers and refrigerate for up to 1 month.
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Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
---|---|
42 | Calories |
3g | Fat |
4g | Carbs |
1g | Protein |
Nutrition Facts | |
---|---|
Servings: 12 | |
Amount per serving | |
Calories | 42 |
% Daily Value* | |
Total Fat 3g | 3% |
Saturated Fat 0g | 1% |
Cholesterol 0mg | 0% |
Sodium 391mg | 17% |
Total Carbohydrate 4g | 2% |
Dietary Fiber 1g | 5% |
Total Sugars 2g | |
Protein 1g | |
Vitamin C 3mg | 16% |
Calcium 12mg | 1% |
Iron 1mg | 6% |
Potassium 180mg | 4% |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. |