Grilled Hen-of-the-Woods Mushrooms with Sesame

By BobD

"Hen-of-the-woods are often shredded and sautéed, but when you cook them whole, they become crispy outside and meaty and moist inside," says Jean-Georges Vongerichten of his preferred method of preparing the coral-like mushroom. "I'm a purist when it comes to beautiful ingredients, so serving the mushrooms in big clusters keeps them the way they grow in the woods."

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• 2 pounds hen-of-the-woods mushrooms (maitake), separated into 8 wedges total
• Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons thinly sliced parsley
• Lime wedges, for serving

Details

Servings 8
Cooking time 25mins
Adapted from foodandwine.com

Preparation

Step 1

In a small skillet, toast the sesame seeds over moderate heat, stirring a few times, until golden, 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Heat a grill pan and preheat the oven to 425°. Gently and generously brush the mushroom wedges with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the mushrooms in batches over moderately high heat, turning occasionally, until browned and crisp, about 8 minutes per batch. Transfer the wedges to a large rimmed baking sheet and reheat for about 4 minutes. Arrange the mushrooms on a platter. Sprinkle with the parsley and sesame seeds and serve with lime wedges.