Miso paste, butter and freshly grated Parmesan: that’s triple umami. Pan-seared king oyster mushrooms seasoned with that trio are irresistibly delicious.
What are king oyster mushrooms like?
King oyster mushroom, Pleurotus eryngii, is also known as royal trumpet, French horn and king trumpet. It is probably the best cultivated alternative to wild, delicious and not easily available porcini aka cep mushrooms.
King oysters are large and meaty, they don’t shrivel in the frying pan and they are versatile as far as cooking methods go. Expensive, but you can’t win them all.
They are also quite different to the more popular oyster mushrooms from the same family. The latter are cheaper, but much more floppy and with a higher water content.
How to cook king oyster mushrooms
As they are firm and keep their shape well, they are wonderful simply sliced lengthways and grilled, roasted, barbecued or flat-ironed. Another way with these kings is to shred them with a fork, fry or roast and turn into pulled mushrooms to put in vegetarian tacos or serve with rice.
Their long, impressive stalks can be sliced into rounds and fried in butter, like fake vegetarian scallops.
But they can also be chopped roughly like ordinary mushrooms and used in stir-fries, or sautéed for a delicious side dish or a starter, just like in this recipe.
But if you can’t get hold of the king oysters, you’ll also enjoy ordinary, white or chestnut cup champignons prepared following the recipe.
Miso, butter and Parmesan
Miso paste is one of the best sources of umami flavour. Coupled with butter, it’s astoundingly delicious. Add to that grated Parmesan, and you’re in umami heaven. That’s notwithstanding the bags of umami in the mushrooms, especially king oysters. Umami overload!
For this I have adapted the recipe for miso and Parmesan asparagus from New York Times Cooking. It works very well with asparagus but when applied to the mushrooms, it’s mind-blowing. The Weather Man who is not a huge fan of mushrooms, declared this to be his best ever mushroom dish!
Cooking method
It takes all of fifteen minutes or less, including chopping the mushrooms.
Don’t wash them to avoid waterlogging. King oysters are usually very clean but if needed, they can be brushed clean with a dry paper towel or a soft vegetable brush. That approach is in fact best for all mushrooms, with the exception of wild ones foraged in muddy forests.
Chop the stalks into rounds and slice the caps separately. They will go into hot olive oil in a frying pan for about eight to ten minutes, to sear until evenly golden. Be careful with seasoning: they will be flavoured with powerfully salty ingredients in miso and Parmesan.
When sautéed golden, you can add the miso paste loosened up with a little water, and butter. Once the butter melts and coats the mushrooms, the dish is ready. Parmesan should be sprinkled over the dish off the heat, and the king oysters served immediately.
Chiili crisp variation
If, like me, you’re a huge fan of crispy chilli in oil (the Laoganma brand is hands-down the best), you’ll enjoy this variation. Ditch the Parmesan and instead drizzle cooked miso mushrooms with the crispy chilli oil, making sure there are plenty of crispy bits all over.
More mushroom recipes
Fresh chanterelles sautéed in a little butter, piled on thick slices of toasted bread make lunch, starter or a snack fit for gods. Scottish or French chanterelles, sunny yellow wild mushrooms, are autumn’s best.
Flat iron mushrooms, a mix of cultivated mushrooms pressed flat whilst cooking, to concentrate and wonderfully enhance their flavour.
Fried sliced mushrooms, cooked in butter and a little oil, perfect for breakfast or as a side to steak. Cook them for 10-15 minutes until caramelised and crisp.
More intensely umami recipes
Yu xiang aubergine is a Sichuan stir-fry in fiery, umami rich sauce. With added crunch of almonds and tartness of cranberries, it’s the best aubergine dish ever.
Kewpie-style mayonnaise, the umami bomb of a condiment, which you can make at home in exactly one minute. A stick blender and a tall jar make true magic happen.
Salmon fillet cooked with oyster sauce and a touch of brown sugar is a perfect umami storm. Salmon gently simmered in the sweet and salty sauce with spring onions and crushed garlic is ready in 10 minutes.