Make room for mushrooms

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This article was published 30/09/2014 (3488 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Dining out inspires dinner at home. Especially when the restaurant meal features seasonal ingredients with easy to re-create preparations. After a day of bicycling in Austria, a stunning skillet of golden pork chops smothered in pfifferlings proved splendid inspiration. Ditto for the accompanying crispy-crunchy kartoffelkroketten (potato croquettes).

Perfect timing, too, since all manner of mushrooms populate most markets in the fall. Golden-hued, funnel-shaped pfifferlings, a.k.a. chanterelles, appear in generous portions on all manner of dishes in Germany and Austria. Little wonder, with their subtle peppery taste, rich flavour and pleasing, toothsome texture.

Most mushrooms taste best when sautéed over high heat with a hint of aromatic seasonings. I like to combine several varieties to keep costs low and to take advantage of their individual textures. My favourite medley includes thinly sliced shiitake caps with chunks of oyster mushrooms and a small handful of those colourful chanterelles. Or course, a couple of morel mushrooms elevate any dish they grace. If button or cremini mushrooms prove the only fresh option, I enhance their subtle flavour with the complexity of dried mushrooms. I find that even the least expensive pieces of dried mushrooms pack a deep mushroom flavour.

Skillet-roasted onion and fresh garlic make a great addition to the mushrooms. A sprinkling of chopped fresh herbs, such as tarragon, thyme and oregano, promote this simple sautéed side to company fare.

Mushroom mixture handled, it’s time to talk skillet pork chops. Our Austrian repast featured perfectly cooked moist chops with a golden exterior. At home, I bring out the cast-iron skillet and crank the heat — both stove-top and in the oven.

Potato croquettes sound hard to make. Not so much if you think of them simply as mashed potatoes coated in crunchy crumbs and pan-crisped. I add fresh chives and black pepper for flavour.

Pan-Fried Pork Chops with Sautéed Mushrooms

450 g (1 lb) assorted fresh mushrooms, such as chanterelles, shiitake, oyster, button, cremini *

6 centre-cut, bone-in pork chops, each a scant 2 cm (3/4-inch) thick, about 1.3 kg (3 lb) total

4 ml (3/4 tsp) salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 large tropea onion or 1 small red onion or 2 shallots

2 cloves garlic

30 to 45 ml (2 to 3 tbsp) safflower, sunflower or expeller-pressed canola oil

30 ml (2 tbsp) butter

2 ml (1/2 tsp) minced fresh thyme or 1/2 ml (1/8 tsp) dried

30 or 45 ml (2 or 3 tbsp) chopped fresh parsley or chives

Clean mushrooms: Discard stems from shiitake mushrooms, trim stems of other mushrooms. Wipe caps clean. Cleaned mushrooms can be stored in the refrigerator in a paper bag for a day or two. Before using, cut large mushrooms into 2.5-cm (1-inch) slices or chunks.

Pat pork chops dry. Sprinkle generously on both sides with salt and pepper. Let stand at room temperature up to 1 hour or refrigerate up to 24 hours.

Heat oven to 190 C (375 F) on convection or 200 C (400 F) on conventional oven setting. Finely chop the onion or shallots and garlic. Have the herbs ready. Set all ingredients near the stove.

When the oven is hot, heat 1 large or 2 medium well-seasoned cast-iron skillet(s) over medium-high heat until drops of water sizzle vigorously when added to the pan. Swirl a film of oil in the bottom of the pan or pans. Add the chops in a single uncrowded layer. Cook on medium-high until the bottoms are golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Use tongs to flip the chops and brown the other side, 2 minutes more. Carefully slide the skillet or skillets with the chops into the oven to finish the cooking, 3-4 minutes. Pan juices should run clear and chops will be almost firm (but not hard) to the touch.

Transfer the chops to a wire rack set over a tray to collect the juices. Tent the chops with foil to keep them warm.

Put the skillet from the chops over medium-high heat; swirl in half of the butter. Add half of the mushrooms, onion and garlic; cook until golden, 3-4 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining mushrooms, onion and garlic. Combine all the mushrooms in the skillet; tip in any of the juices from the chops. Stir in the thyme.

Arrange the chops on a warm platter; spoon the mushrooms over the chops. Sprinkle with the parsley or chives; serve.

Makes: 6 servings

* You can substitute 60 ml (1/4 cup) dried mushrooms (rehydrated in warm water, then drained and chopped) for 110 g (1/4 lb) of the fresh.

 

Potato-Chive Croquettes

4 medium russet baking potatoes (about 560 g), scrubbed, peeled if desired

60 ml (1/4 cup) half-and-half or milk

1 large egg yolk

2.5 ml (1/2 tsp) salt

1 ml (1/4 tsp) freshly ground black pepper

60 ml (1/4 cup) loosely packed finely chopped chives or green onions

250 ml (1 cup) panko or other coarse breadcrumbs

60 ml (1/4 cup) safflower, sunflower or expeller-pressed canola oil

30 ml (2 tbsp) butter

Cut potatoes into 5-cm (2-inch) cubes; put into a large saucepan. Add salted water to cover the potatoes. Heat over high to a rolling boil; reduce heat to a gentle rolling boil. Cook until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 15 minutes.

Drain off the water. Working in the pan, mash the potatoes with the half-and-half, egg yolk, salt and pepper until smooth. Let stand until cool enough to handle, then stir in the chives.

Put the breadcrumbs into a shallow dish. Use your hands to shape the potato mixture into small football shapes, using 45 ml (3 tbsp) per piece. Roll in the crumbs to coat on all sides. Set on a wire rack for a few minutes or up to several hours. Repeat to continue making croquettes, you’ll have 12 to 14.

Heat oil and butter in a very large skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the croquettes in a single uncrowded layer. Fry, turning gently, until golden and crisp on all sides, about 5 minutes. Serve hot.

 

Fresh Cucumber Salad

1 large or 2 medium seedless cucumbers

2 or 3 cloves garlic, crushed

5 ml (1 tsp) salt

Chopped fresh parsley

Peel the cucumbers, if you like. Cut lengthwise in half; slice very thinly. Put into a colander; stir in the garlic and salt. Let drain over a plate, 30 minutes. Use clean hands to squeeze out the excess liquid. Put cucumbers in a bowl; stir in the parsley. Refrigerate to chill a few minutes or up to 1 day.

 

— Chicago Tribune