I found some beautiful King Oyster mushrooms at my farmer's market last week and just had to buy some. Back in my restaurant days I cooked a lot of King Oyster mushrooms glazed in demi glace and cream and finished with chopped parsley and thyme. While quite delicious, they were so rich. With this recipe, I decided to keep some of the decadence with a little half n' half added at the end, but without the huge amount of calories. I used a mixture of terrific cool weather herbs; thyme, parsley, and tarragon. Make sure to add the half n' half at the very end and only cook for a brief second to keep the mushrooms coated.
King Oyster Mushrooms with Cool Weather Herbs and Cream
-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
-8 oz King Oyster mushrooms, halved lengthwise if small, quartered if large
-2 shallot lobes, minced
-2 tablespoons of mixed herbs such as tarragon, thyme, and parsley
-1/2 tablespoon butter
-2 tablespoons half n' half or heavy cream
-Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add in the mushrooms. Season with a little salt and saute the mushrooms, stirring or flipping often, until they begin to soften and brown on the edges, about 3-4 minutes. Add in the shallot and briefly saute for 1 minute more. Add in the herbs and butter, stir to coat. Add in the half n' half or cream and cook just until the half n' half is warmed through and the mushrooms are coated. Pull off the heat and season to taste with salt and fresh ground pepper. Serve hot.
