Charred Snow Peas, Pickled Mushrooms, and Water Chestnuts

By west757

Michael Schulson's restaurant "Izakaya" at The Borgata in Atlantic City is one of my favorites. He has a flair for Asian-style small plates that just begged to be shared.

Ingredients

• For the pickled mushrooms:
• 1/2 cup fresh beach or enoki mushrooms
• 1/2 cup Japanese vinegar
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 1 clove garlic, whole
• 2 sprigs thyme
• For the dish:
• Oil as needed for saute
• 1 cup snow peas, cleaned and blanched
• 1 teaspoon ginger, peeled and finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh red finger chili, thinly cut on the bias
• 1/2 cup of the pickled mushrooms
• 1/4 cup water chestnuts, peeled and diced
• White soy sauce to taste

Details

Servings 2
Adapted from philly.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. To prepare the mushrooms, use all but the bottom half-inch of the mushrooms. Remove and discard that segment. Bring a pot of water to boiling, lightly salt, then blanch the mushrooms. Set aside.

2. Combine the rest of the ingredients and bring to a simmer. Continue cooking 2 more minutes, until the sugar and salt are dissolved.

3. In a stainless steel bowl, combine the mushrooms and liquid mixture and cover. Mushrooms will pickle as they are refrigerated at least 24 hours.

4. To assemble the dish, put a bit of oil in a pan and bring to a smoking hot temperature over medium heat. Add the snow peas and char. Add ginger and chili to the pan and cook for one minute. Add the pickled mushrooms and the water chestnuts. Season with white soy sauce, then remove from the heat.

5. Drain on a towel to remove the water and transfer the mixture to a serving plate.