Warm Mushroom Sauté

On a family vacation a few years ago, one of our daughters became enchanted by a warm mushroom dish served on a bed of wild greens and garnished with nuts. We were so pleasantly surprised to find a similar recipe from one of our favorite chefs, Suzanne Goin. Here is our rendition of woodsy warm mushrooms partnered with toasted nuts and fresh greens. This dish is wonderful over pasta or polenta (here) and the mushrooms alone make a great side dish.

SERVES 4 to 6

½ cup hazelnuts or walnuts

Vinaigrette

2 medium shallots, finely diced (about 2 tablespoons)

3 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar

Pinch of kosher salt

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Mushrooms and Greens

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons unsalted butter or additional extra-virgin olive oil

2 pounds fresh wild mushrooms, such as shiitake, chanterelle, oyster, or maitake, stems removed, sliced ¼ inch thick

2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped

1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt and 2 pinches freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning

¼ cup thinly sliced shallots

2 cups any combination of baby arugula, radicchio, or baby kale

¼ cup roughly chopped fresh tarragon leaves

½ cup roughly chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

¼ cup thinly sliced fresh chives

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, toast the nuts, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Don’t allow them to burn. Let the nuts cool, then chop them coarsely. Set aside.

To make the vinaigrette, in a small bowl combine the finely diced shallots, vinegar, and a pinch of salt. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes. Whisk in the olive oil and set aside.

To prepare the mushrooms, heat a large skillet over high heat for 2 minutes. Add the olive oil and heat for 1 minute. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter and when it foams, scatter half the mushrooms in the pan. Add 1 teaspoon of the thyme, ¾ teaspoon salt, and a pinch of pepper. Cook the mushrooms, stirring occasionally, until tender and a little crispy, 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining butter, thyme, salt, and pepper and the second batch of mushrooms, leaving the mushrooms in the pan.

Add the first batch of mushrooms to the second batch and reheat without further cooking. Add the sliced shallots and stir to warm them as well. Add the greens, herbs, nuts, and vinaigrette to the skillet and toss quickly. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper and serve immediately.