In the last ten years or so, the varieties of
mushrooms available to us have, well, mushroomed. Today we can get
such exotica as hen-of-the-woods, hedgehog, and lobster mushrooms.
This provides us with terrific diversity for stir frys, pastas, and
quick stews. Because mushrooms cook in a hurry, they are perfect for
fast dinners. Already sliced mushrooms (usually button or portobello)
make meal preparation go even faster.
The portobello is the meatiest of all mushrooms and
can thus be used as a meat substitute when the large cap (as wide as
8 inches across) is grilled, broiled or pan fried for portobello
“burgers” or “steaks.” Caps and stems can be sliced for a quick
vegetarian ragout with bell peppers, onions, garlic and tomatoes and
served over rice, noodles, or polenta.
Shiitake mushrooms are one of my
favorites because they can be used in so many ways from an
Asian-style chicken soup to sauteed turkey cutlets in the recipe
below. The umbrella-like cap has the look and feel of brown suede.
The stems are too chewy to eat but
they can be thrown into a vegetable stock.
Chanterelles are among the most
flavorful of all wild mushrooms with hints of apricot, pepper, and
nuts. They have a horn-like shape with colors that range from pale
yellow to reddish orange. Chanterelles are expensive but more widely
available than other expensive wild mushrooms such as the meaty and
buttery porcini or the smoky morels.
I rarely use shell-shaped oyster mushrooms because
their texture is flabby and their taste too timid. Worse is the
enoki, which looks and tastes like a Q-tip. Crimini (or cremini)
mushrooms, sometimes called baby portobello, Italian brown or brown
mushrooms, cost two to three times more than button mushrooms but
don’t taste much different.
Despite being overshadowed by more
unusual and pricier fungi, button mushrooms can be quite flavorful,
particularly when cooked. Below I use them raw in a salad, but only
when they are absolutely fresh. If you can’t get shiitake mushrooms,
button mushrooms can be used with the turkey cutlets. Veal or
chicken may be substituted for the turkey.
Turkey Cutlets
with Arugula and Mushroom Salad
1 bunch arugula
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
Four 5-ounce turkey cutlets
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/3 cup all purpose flour
8 ounces button mushrooms
1 medium-size ripe but firm
Bartlett or Bosc
pear
2 ounces Parmesan in one piece
3 ounces shiitake mushrooms
1/2 lemon
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2/3 cup dry white wine
1)Fill the sink with cold water while you cut the
arugula crosswise into 1/2-inch wide strips, discarding the bottom
inch. Wash the arugula briefly but vigorously in the sink to remove
grit. Then spin dry in a salad spinner. Remove excess moisture with
paper towels.
2)While the arugula dries, put 1 tablespoon of the
olive oil and the butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat.
Season the cutlets with salt and pepper. Put the flour in a pie
plate and dredge the cutlets in the flour. Shake off any excess
flour. Increase the heat in the skillet to high and add the
cutlets.
Cook for about 4 minutes on each side or until no pink remains in the
center. (Cut into one cutlet with the tip of a paring knife if
necessary to check.)
3)While the turkey cooks and the arugula dries, slice
the button mushrooms as thinly as possible. Put them in a large
salad bowl. Halve the pear lengthwise and core, but don’t peel. Cut
both halves crosswise into thin half moons. Add the pear and arugula
to the mushrooms. Shave the Parmesan with a vegetable peeler or
grate using the large holes on a 4-sided grater. You should have
about 3/4 cup. Add to the
salad.
4)Remove the stems from the shiitake
mushrooms and thinly slice the caps. Juice the lemon half.
5)When the cutlets are cooked
through, remove them to a platter and cover to keep warm. Add the
shiitake mushrooms to the skillet and season with the thyme and salt
and pepper to taste. Stir and cook for 1 minute. Add the wine and
scrape the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon to loosen any
particles.
6)Allow the wine to reduce in volume
by half while you mix the lemon juice with the remaining 2
tablespoons of olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Add to the
salad and toss well. Pour liquid and mushrooms from the skillet over
the cutlets and serve with the salad.
Serves 4
Per serving: 416 calories, 43 grams
protein, 19 grams carbohydrate, 19 grams fat, 5.9 grams saturated
fat, 105 mg cholesterol, 334 mg sodium.
