Oven Roasted Mushrooms with Poached Eggs
How sweet it is when I discover a delectable new dish in a restaurant that is unique, tasty and most importantly memorable. I do not search these delights; I prefer to discover them when least expected. L’Artusi is an Italian restaurant in New York and I recently had the great pleasure of trying an array of their dishes with our two Napa Valley correspondents. I have since made this dish three times to ensure it is as good.
If you do not have fresh Chanterelles, you can substitute with Shiitake mushrooms.
Clean mushrooms with a dry brush; ensure that no soil remains on the stems. Cut the bottom of the stems off and slice the mushrooms in “T” shapes.
Preheat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC).
Place the mushrooms in an earthenware casserole or crock-pot, add the olive oil, sprinkle the salt and mix well. Place in oven for 10 minutes, mix and place in oven for another 5-10 minutes. The mushrooms should be roasted, golden in color with the edges slightly crispy. Then remove from oven and set aside.
For poaching add water to a pot to the height of 3 inches from the base. Then add the white vinegar and bring water to an active simmer so that you’re able to see tiny bubbles.
Crack an egg into a shallow bowl, and then actively stir the water to create a small whirlpool and immediately slide the egg into the center. Use a spoon to ensure the egg whites begin to form around the yolk. Then do the second, and third. The eggs should stay in for approximately 2 minutes, and an extra minute if you like the eggs firm.
Remove the eggs with a slotted spoon to remove all water and place directly over the mushrooms.
Right before serving prick the egg yolks, sprinkle some cracked black pepper on top, then squeeze the lemon juice directly on top of the eggs and mushrooms then add the grated cheese.
This dish should be served with sliced hearty sourdough bread that is chewy and dense.
Rony Zibara
Editor-In-Chief and the gourmand-gourmet behind Poetry of Food; a food memoir which has been in preparation since he was a child. His earliest memories are in the kitchen with his mother cooking French and Lebanese dishes, and with his South American grandmother making Spanish dishes as the cook prepared a repertoire of salsas and sauces. Having grown up in Beirut and lived between Paris, Toronto and now New York, Rony’s food and travel experiences have always been part of his personal cuisine. An avid storyteller, he believes it’s not about the size of the catch, but about the day. It’s the experience, the setting, the people, and most importantly, the ingredients that turn the meal and the flavors into a memory. While not a professionally trained chef, Rony is a cook by all counts; his life revolves around the culinary joys of food, searching out new ingredients, new recipes, and new cultures. And while he loves the restaurant scene, he is not an obsessed follower. Rony’s food passions lie in the poetry of the everyday meal and not in the pursuit of the absolute ‘best’ or perfect meal. His extensive career in innovating and branding new products and experiences has been a great support and backdrop for his passions in food culture and is evident in the overall design and presentation of this food memoir.