Oyster Mushrooms Rockefeller

Oyster Mushrooms, setas, in Spanish

Oyster Mushrooms Rockefeller

by Victoria Challancin

Now don't get me wrong, I think mushrooms are beautiful.  A true work of nature.  But mushrooms as food just never seem to photograph well for me. But here you have them, thanks to a vegetarian husband and the pressures of a quick week-night dinner, hastily prepared.  With love.

Oyster mushrooms abound in the part of Mexico where I live, and setas, as they are called here,  are much prized.  Often they are cooked a la parilla, with rings of dried guajillo chiles and garlic.  Today, I prepared them Rockefeller style, as in the oyster recipe, using a recipe I found in Vegetarian Times as a springboard.  Basically, I read the recipe and then just recreated some version in the kitchen.  I didn't have but 1/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise and knew my husband would squawk at the idea of mayo in his dish anyway, so I added some organic Caesar dressing with asiago cheese.  Heavy and rich.  And yes, it is a purchased dressing...And yes, oddly enough, the mushrooms feel rather like oysters in the mouth!  But don't let that put you off if that doesn't appeal.  It's just that I finally understood the name once I ate this particular dish.

The scattered mushrooms with sautéed spinach on top

A topping of sliced imported Emmenthal cheese and a sprinkle of sumac, because I love it

Oyster Mushrooms Rockefeller

(Recipe adapted from Vegetarian Times, link above)

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

3 garlic cloves

250g (1/2 pound) oyster mushrooms, separated and with coarse stems removed

284g/10 oz fresh young spinach

1/4 cup mayonnaise, (I used Hellman's Light)

1/4 cup Yogurt-Asiago Caesar dressing (or use all mayonnaise, yogurt, or Ranch dressing)

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

100g Swiss, Emmenthal, Cheddar, or melting cheese of choice, sliced or grated

Sumac or paprika for the top

Preheat oven to 375F (at a lower altitude you might want to use a 3350-degree oven).

Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick sauté pan.  Add the garlic and sautée for two minutes to soften, but not brown.  Add the spinach.  Stir to mix with the flavored oil, top, and allow to steam until wilted, about five minutes, stirring occasionally.

Place the mushrooms in the bottom of a glass or ceramic baking dish.  Top with the spinach.

Place the mayonnaise and dressing in a small bowl and mix in the mustard.  Season with salt and pepper.  Spread mixture over the spinach.  Top with the sliced or grated cheese.  Sprinkle with sumac or paprika.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until bubbling.  Pass under a broiler if you want to brown the top.  Serve with a nice salad, lightly dressed.

Enjoy!

And voila!  An easy week-night main dish, unctuous and delicious, served with a huge mixed salad and a light vinaigrette to cut the richness of the main dish.


Victoria Challancin
Flavors of the Sun Cooking School
San Miguel de Allende, México


©Victoria Challancin.  All Rights Reserved.