Weirdly, up until last week, I had never grilled mushrooms. I’m going to blame that on the fact that grilled portobellos exist and have given grilled mushrooms a bad name for many, many years. Now that I know what I’ve been missing, I’ll spend the summer making up for lost time.
If a giant dinosaur egg suddenly sprouted tendrils, it might look like this. The maitake mushroom, also known as “hen of the woods,” is a magnificent-looking thing, frilly and bulbous; look for young, pliable, damp ones. If they’re dried out or stiff, they’re over the hill and not worth investing in (the specimens above cost me $24 at the farmers market).
To grill them, I keep it simple: Drizzle generously with oil. Use more than you’d like or think you need; they soak it up like crazy. If you skimp, they’ll dry out on the grill and never really cook through.
One night I cooked big giant Flintstone porterhouse steaks and had the mushrooms going on the cooler side of the grill. Another night I let the coals die down to embers and cooked the mushrooms directly over the waning fire. Both methods worked great. Grill over indirect or very low heat.
Because they’re cooked slowly, the mushrooms have more time to absorb the smoky flavors; they’ll turn crisp and golden, crunchy on the outside but tender and chewy inside. You could finish them with some chopped parsley and a squeeze of lemon, serve them with a spicy mayonnaise for dipping, drizzle them with salsa verde, or just eat them straight off the grill, like I did yesterday, feeling incredibly satisfied with what $24 gets you these days.
How to Make Grilled Maitake Mushrooms Recipe
Grilled Maitake Mushrooms 🔗
A quick, easy and healthy side dish – simply grill in olive oil!
Nutrition Facts: properties {‘calories’: ’39kcal’}
Ingredients:
- https://www.kikkoman.com/en/cookbook/glossary/maitake.html
- extra virgin olive oil
- Kikkoman Ponzu Sauce(yuzu or other citrus)
- https://www.kikkoman.com/en/cookbook/glossary/sudachi.html
Instruction:
Tear the maitake mushrooms into easy-to-eat pieces, pour the olive oil on top using a circular motion and evenly distribute throughout using your hands.
Place aluminum foil down on a gridiron, align (1) on top and grill over high heat for 5 to 6 minutes while turning over (or grill each side for 3 to 4 minutes).
Serve onto plates, pour on the ponzu sauce and place the sudachi lime on the side.
FAQ
Does maitake need to be cooked?
Grill the mushrooms in batches over moderately high heat, turning occasionally, until browned and crisp, about 8 minutes per batch, brushing lightly and liberally with olive oil and seasoning with salt and pepper.
Are maitake good for you?
When cooking them, be sure to balance them with robust savory and salty flavors because it has a strong earthy, peppery flavor and is best served cooked.