Saltcraft / Recipes / East Coast
No. 15East Coast · Dinner

King Oyster Mushroom "Scallops" with Brown Butter & Sage

East Coast seafood with a twist: there's no seafood. King oyster mushroom stems, cut into thick coins and seared hard, turn golden and savoury with a bite that's almost too convincing. Brown butter and sage make it feel like a restaurant starter, and it all happens in one skillet. And yes, I want lemon at the end.

Jump to recipe
King oyster mushroom rounds seared golden like scallops, with garlic and parsley
Shot on my phone.No. 15
Serves
2–3 as a starter
Total
25 min
Hands-on
20 min
Season
Fall

Method

  1. Cut the "scallops." Trim the woody ends and slice the thick stems into coins about 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick. Save the caps for another dish. Lightly score both cut faces in a crosshatch without slicing through.
  2. Dry and season. Pat the coins very dry and season both sides.
  3. Sear hard. Heat the oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the coins without crowding and sear 3–4 minutes per side, until deeply golden. Leave them alone while they sear.
  4. Brown the butter. Turn the heat to medium. Add the butter, sage and garlic and swirl until the butter turns nut-brown and smells toasted. Spoon it over the mushrooms for 1–2 minutes.
  5. Finish. Fish out the garlic, squeeze over the lemon, and serve straight away with the crisp sage and every drop of brown butter.

From my kitchen

  • Dry is everything. Wet mushrooms steam instead of sear. Pat them dry, then pat them again.
  • Don't crowd the pan. Work in two batches if you need to. Crowded coins go grey and sad.
  • Want it deeper? A teaspoon of white miso whisked into the brown butter adds a savoury note. Taste before you add more salt.
  • Save the caps. Slice them into a stir-fry or an omelette the next day.

To drink

Easy A buttery California Chardonnay. Brown butter loves it.

A step further Chablis, the leaner, mineral side of Chardonnay. It cuts through the butter instead of matching it.

Zero proof A non-alcoholic sparkling wine, very cold.

Richly yours, H

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