Pizza Today - March 2016 - 48

* Oyster mushrooms. These buttery and
tender mushrooms have a light sweetness to
them. The Royal King oysters are large enough
to roast and shave thinly lengthwise for a whopping presentation on pizza. Garlic, onions, parsley
and asparagus as well as celery root, fennel and
artichokes pair well using Parmesan, Swiss and
Taleggio cheeses. The tender smaller oysters roast
perfectly on any pizza; I prefer them with Jerusalem artichoke, fresh curd, roasted garlic and a
little lemon-spritzed asparagus. The larger oyster
mushrooms can be had for $.57 per ounce and the
smaller versions are $.52 per ounce.
* Porcini. To me, this is the king of mushroom
flavor. When I was competing in Italy, I sought
out a mushroom guru in the mountains and he
said that dried porcini was preferred over fresh
because of the intensity of flavor. I took his word
for it and that advice has opened up a whole new
world of taste. These can be bought dried in onepound jars for $3 an ounce, which sounds intimidating. But as you re-hydrate these mushrooms,
the pungent, smoky meat and nut taste permeates
the water as well as the flesh. Porcinis are great
with provolone, ricotta, Parmesan, any goat cheese,
garlic, lemon, polenta, pine nuts, spinach, tomato
and balsamic vinegar.
* Maitake. This is also called Hen of the
Woods because it has a chicken taste and texture.
It pairs well with parsley, fresh spinach, sesame,
miso, olive oil and cilantro. This mushroom
tends to get tough as it ages. This should not be
confused with Chicken of the Woods, which is
another nice meaty mushroom.
* Chanterelle. My bronze medal mushroom
behind morels and porcini. It tastes of apricot and
pepper and grows profusely in our Ohio forests
in the hot summers in large 10- to 20-foot circles
of gold. The best way to preserve them is to "dry
sauté" them in a pan or in your pizza oven and
then immediately freeze. Any moisture ruins the
texture after freezing. Perfect with shallots, butter,
sunny-side up egg, garlic, parsley, cream mascarpone cheese, corn, onions, butternut squash,
Parmesan, cream and pepper.
* Button. Everyone knows these small white
babies that sell for $.12 per ounce. They are slightly sweet with a tender texture but can be used to
enhance other, more expensive mushrooms. n
JOHN GUTEKANST owns Avalanche Pizza in Athens,
Ohio and has a pizza blog called Pizza Goon. He is an
award-winning pizzaiolo, baker, teacher, speaker and
author.
4 8 / P I Z Z AT O D AY. C O M / M A R C H 2 0 1 6

Mushroom Recipes

Mushroom
Crème Heaven
This is the perfect sauce to blow
your customers' minds! I use this
sauce to make a spectacular burrata,
(cream-stuffed mozzarella ball)
or just dollop it on a hot pie right
out of the oven. This becomes an
over-the-top crème by just a dash
of white truffle oil. And believe it or
not, it is crazy-good on...drumroll
please...French fries!
3 ounces Portobello mushroom
3 ounces dried Porcini mushroom
rehydrated in very hot water to
just cover them, then diced fine
1 garlic clove, chopped fine
2 tablespoons Porcini water
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon mascarpone cheese
2 tablespoons crème fraiche
¼ tablespoon salt
Place all ingredients in a blender or
a large pitcher with an immersion
blender and blend on high till very
creamy. Taste and adjust. Reserve
this magical cream in the refrigerator for further use.

Marinated
Mushroom Bombs
These beauties start out marinating dry but end up as juicy little
sponges of sweet mushroom flavor.
They are best served on cold salads
but can add a real pop to chicken
and veggie pies.
1 pound cremini (baby bella)
mushrooms, cut in quarters
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
½ cup balsamic glaze
½ cup balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon garlic powder

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except mushrooms and whisk
thoroughly. Taste for your preference, (Some folks like a sweeter
marinade.) Toss in the mushrooms
and let sit at room temperature for
30 minutes. Toss again and transfer
to a lexan to reserve in the refrigerator for 5 to 12 hours.

Asian Shiitake
Pork Meatballs
These are very nice served with
aged provolone, kimchi and scallion,
or as a sweet and sour pizza with
mandarin orange, teriyaki, sharp
Parmesan and more mushrooms.
1 pound ground pork
4 ounces shiitake mushroom
caps, diced fine
1 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons toasted sesame
seeds
2 teaspoons porcini powder
(optional)
2 teaspoons tubed ginger
2 teaspoons tubed lemongrass
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
2 teaspoons fish sauce or Italian
Coloratura
¼ cup chopped cilantro
¼ cup chopped basil
2 ounces chopped breadcrumbs
½ raw whisked egg for binder
Preheat ovens to 475 F. Combine all
ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Let sit to marinate flavors
for 1 hour under refrigeration. This
will also enable easy handling of the
meatball. Place parchment on a tray
and make 1-ounce meatballs. Pass
into a conveyor or deck pizza oven
for 6 to 8 minutes, tossing meatballs
halfway through to make sure they
maintain the round shape. Check
for doneness. If the meatballs need
more cooking, finish in the oven
until cooked. Makes approximately
14 1-ounce meatballs.

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MORE on ways to use mushrooms on your menu.
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Pizza Today - March 2016

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