Twice-Marinated Mushrooms

These mushrooms get lots of flavor from a quick sear, although they keep a nice, chewy texture because they’re not cooked all the way through. The wine-and-vinegar marinade infuses them with even more flavor and provides an acidic balance to the rich olive oil. Tastier and meatier than your average store-bought jarred mushrooms, these are delicious on crostini, over steak, pork, or chicken, and as a pita topping or omelet filling.
This recipe works well with a variety of mushrooms. The cooking time, however, varies slightly depending on the type you use. You can marinate each mushroom variety separately, or if you want to marinate a mix of mushrooms, cook them separately and then marinate them together.

• 1-1/2 cups dry white wine
• 1/2 cup white wine vinegar
• 3 medium cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 1x4-inch strips lemon zest, white pith removed
• 1 4-inch sprig rosemary
• 2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp. juniper berries (about 14), lightly crushed
• 1/2 tsp. fennel seed, lightly chopped
• 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil (approximately)
• 1 lb. mushrooms

Mix the wine, vinegar, garlic, lemon zest, rosemary, salt, juniper berries, fennel seed, red pepper flakes, and black pepper to make a marinade.

Heat 3 Tbs. of the olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until very hot. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring once or twice, until golden brown on one or two sides, 1-1/2 to 4 minutes, depending on the type of mushroom—they should not be cooked all the way through. Spread on a plate to cool.

Add the marinade to the skillet. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 5 minutes to infuse the flavors. Put the mushrooms and marinade in a heatproof container, such as a 1-quart Pyrex measuring cup. Let cool to room temperature, cover, and refrigerate overnight.

Drain the mushrooms, reserving the garlic and discarding the marinade and most of the aromatics (it’s OK if some of the aromatics stick to the mushrooms). Pack the mushrooms and garlic into a pint jar with lid (or other sealable container). Add enough of the remaining oil to cover, and refrigerate at least overnight and up to 1 month.

Mushroom Prep

Each type of mushroom requires slightly different trimming. Here’s how to prepare some of our favorites:

• Cremini: Halve if large; cook 2 to 3 minutes.
• Portobello: Remove stem and gills and cut into 1/2 -inch-thick slices; cook 1-1/2 to 2 minutes.
• Shiitake: Remove stems and leave whole; cook 1-1/2 to 2 minutes.  
• Oyster: If large, separate lobes from bunches; if small, leave in little bunches 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick; cook 1-1/2 to 2 minutes.
• Maitake/Hen of the woods: Separate into little bunches with 1/2 - to 3/4-inch-thick stems; cook about 2 minutes.