Warm Salad of Wild Mushrooms

By corlear

Salade Tiède aux Champignons Sauvages

Work time: 25-30 minutes
Cooking time: 8-10 minutes

Wild mushrooms are a true delicacy calling for the simplest preparation. A favorite first course is to sauté the mushrooms with chopped shallot and parsley and serve them on a bed of salad.

The vinaigrette dressing can be made up to 1 week in advance and kept in a sealed container. Prepare the salad leaves up to 1 day ahead and keep them, wrapped in a damp dish towel, in the refrigerator.

Anne says, "To make expensive wild mushrooms go further, you can replace half of htem with button mushrooms."

Ingredients

• For the vinaigrette dressing:
• 1 small head of curly endive, weighing about 1/4 lb
• 1 small head of radicchio, weighing about 2 1/2 oz
• 2 1/2 oz arugula
• 3/4 lb mixed wild mushrooms, such as chanterelles, oyster mushroomes, and cépes
• 2 shallots
• 1 small bunch of parsley
• 2-3 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1/2 tsp Dijon-style mustard
• salt
• pepper
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 3 tbsp walnut oil

Preparation

Step 1

1. Make the vinaigrette dressing: (The standard recipe for vinaigrette dressing follows the principle of 1 part vinegar to 3 parts oil, but these quantities can vary according to taste, the type of vinegar and oil, and the other ingredients used). In a bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, and salt and pepper. Gradually whisk in the vegetable and walnut oils so the vinaigrette emulsifies and thickens slightly. Taste for seasoning.

2. Pull the curly endive leaves apart and discard the tough stems. Tear the leaves into pieces and immerse them in plenty of cold water.

3. Discard any withered outer leaves from the radicchio and cut away the core. Separate the leaves and immerse them with the curly endive.

4. Discard the tough stems from the arugula and immerse the leaves in the bowl of cold water.

5. Wash the endive, radicchio, and arugula leaves thoroughly. Dry the leaves in a salad spinner or on a dish towel, then transfer all the leaves to a large bowl.

Prepare the mushrooms and assemble the salad:

1. Wipe the wild mushrooms with damp paper towels. Wash them only if they are very sandy, and do not let them soak in water. Trim the stems and remove woody portions.

2. Place the mushrooms on a chopping board and cut them into medium pieces with a chef's knife.

3. Peel the shallots, leaving a little of the root attached, and cut them in half. Set each half, flat-side down, on the chopping board and slice horizontally, leaving the slices attached at the root. Slice vertically, again leaving the root end uncut, then cut across the shallot to make fine dice.

4. Strip the parsley leaves from the stems and pile the leaves on the chopping board. With the chef's knife, finely chop them.

5. Heat the butter in a frying pan until foaming. Add the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, 2-3 minutes.

6. Add the mushrooms and salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until the mushrooms are tender and all the liquid has evaporated, 5-7 minutes. Stir in the chopped parsley and taste for seasoning.

7. Briskly whisk the vinaigrette to re-emulsify it, then pour it over the salad leaves and toss them until coated. Taste for seasoning.

Take care! If the salad leaves are tossed in the vinaigrette too far in advance they will wilt.