FOREST FORAGING
Serves 6
Before there was mankind, there was the forest. The permaculture of the forest was the first sustainable system for providing people with food. Before agriculture, humans were natural foragers. I love knowing that if I take a walk through the woods I can always find something edible among the trees and the flowers.
When we make this dish in the restaurant the wild maitake mushrooms are supplied by Dave Odd, our forager. They are sautéed with shallots and garlic. Mushroom puree adds earthiness. Foraged fiddlehead ferns are glazed and served alongside tiny crosnes, a starchy root vegetable that tastes like a crunchy potato but looks like a handful of worms. Crystal lettuce, nasturtiums, pea tendrils, and viola flowers are served on mushroom puree that is piped along real sticks from the forest to create a beautiful study in permaculture.
MUSHROOM STOCK:
10 grams canola oil
100 grams maitake mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
100 grams king trumpet mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
50 grams shallot, sliced
20 grams garlic, sliced
5 grams thyme leaves
300 grams water
MUSHROOM PUREE:
200 grams cremini mushrooms, cleaned
3 garlic cloves, sliced
1 shallot, sliced
10 grams canola oil
1 gram salt
½ bunch thyme
Reserved Mushroom Stock
PARSLEY OIL:
Salt for seasoning
Sugar for seasoning
100 grams parsley leaves
125 grams cold canola oil
PARSLEY POWDER:
50 grams tapioca maltodextrin (see Sources, here)
50 grams Parsley Oil
0.5 gram salt
MUSHROOMS:
10 grams canola oil
200 grams maitake mushrooms, cleaned
25 grams shallot, minced
10 grams garlic, minced
20 grams unsalted butter
5 grams salt
FIDDLEHEAD FERNS:
18 fiddlehead ferns
75 grams water
0.5 gram salt
20 grams cold unsalted butter, diced
CROSNES:
18 crosnes (see Sources, here)
50 grams water
Salt for seasoning
15 grams cold unsalted butter, diced
TO FINISH:
18 pieces of petite crystal lettuce
18 nasturtium flowers
18 pea tendrils
18 viola flowers
STICKS:
Walk outside and find the perfect six 8-or-so-inch sticks for plating on. Wash and dry the sticks.
MUSHROOM STOCK:
Put the oil in a large saucepot set over medium heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the maitake mushrooms, king trumpet mushrooms, and shallots. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently, and then add the garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 4 minutes, until the garlic is tender and aromatic. Add the thyme leaves and water, increase the heat to medium-high, and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook, covered, for 40 minutes. Remove from the heat and strain the Mushroom Stock through a fine-mesh sieve. Reserve the stock for Mushroom Puree.
MUSHROOM PUREE:
Preheat the oven to 300°F.
Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Put the cremini mushrooms, garlic, shallot, oil, and salt in a mixing bowl. Toss to season the mushrooms. Spread the mushrooms on the prepared sheet pan. Scatter the thyme stems around the pan. Roast for 30 minutes, until the mushrooms are tender and golden brown. Remove from the oven and discard the thyme. Transfer the roasted mushrooms and vegetables to a blender. Add enough Mushroom Stock to come halfway up the mushrooms and puree until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve and keep warm in a small pot until ready to plate.
PARSLEY OIL:
Fill a medium stockpot with water, season well with salt and sugar, set over high heat, and bring to a boil. Prepare an ice bath. Blanch the parsley leaves for 30 seconds in the boiling water and immediately transfer to the ice bath. Once the leaves are cool, remove from the ice bath and wring them out in paper towels to dry them completely. Put the parsley leaves and oil in a blender and puree for 5 minutes. Strain the oil through a fine-mesh sieve lined with a coffee filter, allowing it to drip through naturally. Save the oil in a container to use in Parsley Powder.
PARSLEY POWDER:
Place the tapioca maltodextrin in the bowl of a food processor. Turn it on and slowly drizzle in the Parsley Oil, add the salt, and process until the mixture forms a uniform powder. Store in an airtight container until ready to plate.
MUSHROOMS:
Put the oil in a large skillet and set it over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the mushrooms and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the shallot and garlic, reduce the heat to medium, and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the butter and salt and stir to just coat the mushrooms. Keep warm in a small pot until ready to plate.
FIDDLEHEAD FERNS:
Fill a large bowl with water and wash the fiddlehead ferns in it to remove any dirt or debris. Repeat the process 2 more times or until a wash leaves the water clean.
Put the water and salt in a large sauté pan set over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Add the ferns and cook for 2 minutes. Add the butter, stirring to emulsify it into the water and glaze the vegetables. Remove the ferns from the water and keep warm until ready to plate.
CROSNES:
Rinse the crosnes and put them in a large sauté pan with the water. Season lightly with salt, set over medium-high heat, and bring to a simmer. Adjust the heat to maintain a simmer and let the liquid reduce to a couple of teaspoons, about 5 minutes. Add the butter and stir to emulsify it into the water and glaze the crosnes. Keep warm until ready to plate.
TO FINISH:
Put 1 foraged, clean stick on each of 6 plates. Put 40 grams of Mushroom Puree on each plate, spreading half on each stick and half on the plate beneath it to resemble the forest floor. Sprinkle 20 grams of Parsley Powder over both the stick and plate. Arrange some of the Mushrooms, 3 Crosnes, and 3 Fiddleheads around each stick to look like they are growing out of the stick. Place 3 pieces of petite crystal lettuce, 3 nasturtium flowers, 3 pea tendrils, and 3 viola flowers around each plate and stick to make the scene look lush and beautiful. Serve immediately.
