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Charred Maitake Blossom with...Charred Maitake Blossom with Sunchoke Silk and Smoked Allium Dashi

Name: Charred Maitake Blossom with Sunchoke Silk and Smoked Allium Dashi
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 75 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Modern Botanical / French-Japanese Fusion
Ingredients: 4 medium heads of fresh maitake (hen-of-the-woods) mushrooms (approx. 600g); 500g sunchokes (Jerusalem artichokes), peeled and sliced thin; 1 medium shallot, finely sliced; 250ml rich, unsweetened oat milk or cashew cream; 40g European-style vegan cultured butter; 1 large leek, white and light green parts only, split lengthwise; 10g dried kombu kelp; 4 dried shiitake caps; 600ml filtered spring water; 60ml aged gluten-free tamari; 45ml high-grade hon-mirin; 15ml grade A dark maple syrup; 30g yellow mustard seeds, quick-pickled in seasoned apple cider vinegar; 30ml cold-pressed herb oil (parsley, chive, and tarragon blend); 30ml grapeseed oil for searing; Pinch of fleur de sel and micro chervil sprigs for garnish

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Cuisine

Modern Botanical / French-Japanese Fusion

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Servings

⏱

Prep Time

30 mins

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Cook Time

45 mins

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Difficulty

Hard

A refined celebration of forest terroir featuring caramelized, tare-glazed maitake clusters nestled over ultra-smooth sunchoke puree, finished with an aromatic smoked leek dashi and bright herb oil.

Modern Botanical / French-Japanese FusionHard

Ingredients

•4 medium heads of fresh maitake (hen-of-the-woods) mushrooms (approx. 600g)

•500g sunchokes (Jerusalem artichokes), peeled and sliced thin

•1 medium shallot, finely sliced

•250ml rich, unsweetened oat milk or cashew cream

•40g European-style vegan cultured butter

•1 large leek, white and light green parts only, split lengthwise

•10g dried kombu kelp

•4 dried shiitake caps

•600ml filtered spring water

•60ml aged gluten-free tamari

•45ml high-grade hon-mirin

•15ml grade A dark maple syrup

•30g yellow mustard seeds, quick-pickled in seasoned apple cider vinegar

•30ml cold-pressed herb oil (parsley, chive, and tarragon blend)

•30ml grapeseed oil for searing

•Pinch of fleur de sel and micro chervil sprigs for garnish

Cooking Instructions

01
Prepare the smoked dashi: Place the kombu, dried shiitake, and water in a pot; bring to 60°C (140°F) and steep for 30 minutes. In a dry cast-iron skillet, hard-char the leeks until blackened. Submerge charred leeks into the warm dashi, simmer gently for 15 minutes, strain through an ultra-fine chinois, and season with 15ml tamari. Keep warm.
02
Craft the sunchoke silk: Sweat the sliced shallots in 20g vegan butter over low heat without color. Add sliced sunchokes and oat milk. Simmer covered for 20 minutes until completely tender. Transfer to a high-speed blender with remaining 20g vegan butter and blend on high until glossy, passing through a fine-mesh tamis. Season with fine sea salt and keep warm in a piping bag.
03
Create the mushroom glaze: In a small saucepan, combine remaining tamari (45ml), mirin, and maple syrup. Reduce over medium-low heat by half until syrupy and capable of coating the back of a spoon.
04
Sear and roast the maitake: Heat grapeseed oil in a heavy stainless steel or carbon steel pan until shimmering. Add the maitake heads whole and weigh them down lightly with a parchment-wrapped press to maximize surface contact. Sear for 4–5 minutes until deeply caramelized and crisp. Flip and repeat. In the final minute, brush liberally with the reduced tare glaze, basting continually until glossy and caramelized at the edges.
05
Plate and assemble: Pipe a generous disc of warm sunchoke silk into the center of four shallow warmed bowls. Arrange one glazed maitake blossom atop each bed of puree. Dot with pickled mustard seeds and micro chervil. Tableside, pour the hot, clear smoked allium dashi around the puree and finish with split drops of vibrant green herb oil.

Cooking Reviews

“

The Caprese Salad Skewers recipe was a triumph! I prepared them for a party's barbecue and everyone loved them. The basil was so aromatic, the mozzarella so fresh, and the skewers were the perfect size and an appropriate.

Michael Burns

July 1, 2023