Wild Mushroom Confit And Barley Salad

By á-174942

Ingredients

• WILD MUSHROOM CONFIT:
• 1 1/2 pounds assorted wild mushrooms (such as shiitake, portobello, oyster, or cremini)
• Kosher salt to taste
• Freshly-ground black pepper to taste
• 3 cups light neutral-flavored oil (such as safflower oil)
• 3 garlic cloves
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• SALAD:
• 1 garlic clove minced
• 3 tablespoons Champagne vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• Kosher salt to taste
• Freshly-ground black pepper to taste
• 1 cup cooked barley
• 2 tablespoons finely-diced red radish
• 2 tablespoons finely-diced carrot
• 2 green onions, white and green thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons minced flat-leaf parsley
• 2 cups mesclun salad mixture
• Truffle oil for drizzling
• CRISPY CARROTS CURLS:
• 3 carrots (preferably thick) peeled
• Oil for deep-frying
• Instant flour as needed
• Fine salt to taste

Details

Servings 4

Preparation

Step 1

To make the Wild Mushroom Confit: Stem and clean the mushrooms, leaving the caps whole, except the portobellos, which can be quartered. In a colander, combine the mushrooms and sprinkle generously with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Set the colander aside in a bowl, for 30 minutes to 1 hour, stirring occasionally, allowing the mushrooms to release as much liquid as possible (do not reserve the liquid). Pat the mushrooms dry with a paper towel.

Preheat oven to 225 degrees.

In a large baking dish, combine the mushrooms with the oil, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, rosemary, and black pepper. Cover with foil, and bake for 1 1/2 hours, until the mushrooms are very tender. Transfer the mushrooms to a strainer or colander set over a medium bowl to catch the oil. Remove and discard the bay leaves, thyme, and rosemary. Reserve 1/2 cup of the oil, and save the rest of the mushroom oil for other recipes.

To make the Salad: In a small bowl, combine the garlic, vinegar, mustard, salt, and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Gradually whisk in the 1/2 cup of reserved mushroom oil to make a creamy dressing.

In a medium bowl combine the mushrooms, barley, radish, carrots, green onions, and parsley; lightly toss with a little of the dressing. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

In another medium bowl, toss the mesclun with a little of the dressing and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Reserve the remaining dressing for another use.

To serve, divide the greens among 4 plates. Top with the mushroom salad and drizzle with truffle oil. Top with the Crispy Carrots Curls and serve immediately.

Crispy Carrots Curls: With a Japanese-style rotary cutter cut the carrots into long curls.

Pour the oil into a heavy-bottomed pot to a depth of 2 inches. Heat over medium-high until the oil registers 360 degrees on a deep-fry thermometer.

In a medium bowl, toss the carrots with the instant flour to coat evenly, and shake off the excess. Fry the carrot curls, in batches if needed, until crisp and very lightly browned. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Season with salt, to taste, and serve.

This recipe yields 4 servings.