On Matsutake mushrooms.....

Matsutake is the name of a mushroom that grows in Asia, Europe, and North America among other countries. In Japan it is mostly associated with the japanese red pine mushroom, which are both sought after for there spicy-aromatic aroma. For the most part these kinds of mushrooms grow under trees and are usually concealed under fallen leaves and duff on the forest floor. Just the other day I got in some white matsutake mushrooms from Oregon. With the exception of the red coloration of the Asian variety, they share similar flavor profiles and taste.

    You really want to be careful when preparing matsutake mushrooms for they can be quite dry and woody. What I like to do is to give them a heavy sear and then toss them in a vinaigrette or in light stock mounted with butter where they can absorb some moisture. In this case I roasted the mushrooms along with sunchokes in clarified butter to give them some color, once they are both nice and caramelized, I took them off the heat and tossed the mushrooms in a bit of butter, baby green leaf lettuce, and white balsamic vinaigrette. I garnished the plate with some frisee, lemon basil and pancetta lardons. These components alone would be great by themselves but I added a poached egg to give it that extra component to bring it all together....Soft egg+Mushrooms+Pork Product+Acid=Delicious. I'm very happy with how this one came out. Here are some pictures of the finished product and the beautiful matsutake from Oregon.......