Name: Restaurant Hubert’s shiitakes à la Grecque
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4 - 6
Ingredients: 250 ml dry white wine; 200 ml white wine vinegar; 200 ml extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve; 2 tsp caster sugar; 2 fresh bay leaves; 2 tsp coriander seeds; 2 tsp celery seeds; 1 tsp fennel seeds; ¼ tsp black peppercorns; 400 gm shiitake mushrooms; Olive oil, for brushing; Bay oil; ¼ cup (firmly packed) torn flat-leaf parsley; 5 fresh bay leaves, torn; 125 ml grapeseed oil (½ cup)

Restaurant Hubert’s shiitakes à la Grecque

Pickling the shiitakes after they're grilled adds a whole new dimension to their flavour, says Restaurant Hubert's chef Daniel Pepperell.

Skip to Recipe

Serves 4 - 6

Prep

15M

Cook

20M

Total

35M

“Grilling the shiitakes before they’re pickled intensifies the flavour and adds a new dimension,” says Pepperell. “Carrot, fennel and cauliflower also work well in the absence of shiitakes.”

Ingredients

250 ml dry white wine

200 ml white wine vinegar

200 ml extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve

2 tsp caster sugar

2 fresh bay leaves

2 tsp coriander seeds

2 tsp celery seeds

1 tsp fennel seeds

¼ tsp black peppercorns

400 gm shiitake mushrooms

Olive oil, for brushing

Bay oil

¼ cup (firmly packed) torn flat-leaf parsley

5 fresh bay leaves, torn

125 ml grapeseed oil (½ cup)

Method

Main

1.Bring wine, vinegar, oil, sugar, bay leaves, spices, 250ml water and a generous pinch of salt to a simmer in a saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves, then reduce liquid by half (15-20 minutes).

2.Meanwhile, heat a char-grill pan over high heat. Brush mushrooms with olive oil, then grill until charred, turning once (1-2 minutes each side). Transfer to a jar or heatproof container and pour on hot pickling liquid. Cool to room temperature, cover, then refrigerate until lightly pickled (at least 1 hour and up to 3 days).

3.For bay oil, blanch parsley and bay until bright green (30 seconds), then refresh in iced water. Drain herbs and pat dry, then blend with oil in a blender until a fine green oil forms. Transfer to a small saucepan and whisk continuously over low heat until oil reaches 70C (4-5 minutes). Strain oil through a coffee filter paper, or a double layer of muslin, and discard solids. You’ll have more oil than you need here; it will keep refrigerated for 3 weeks and can be used in other dishes.

4.To serve, remove mushrooms from pickling liquid with a slotted spoon and arrange on plates. Spoon on a little pickling liquid, season to taste and finish with a drizzle of bay leaf oil.