Grilled oyster mushrooms with tarragon butter

I absolutely adore mushrooms. They are diverse and earthy in flavour, and they are my go-to vegetable on any restaurant menu. Oyster mushrooms, in particular, are amongst my favourites.

Their botanical name, Pleurotus osreatus, translates to "sideways oyster", referring to their unique shape. Their characteristic look makes them perfect for serving on the table.

This is a simple dish. The oyster mushrooms are crisp on the outside from the grill and chewy on the inside. They are perfect for chefs who want to add a chewy textured dish to vegetarian menus. Be careful with the amount fo tarragon you use, it si a strong herb and can quickly overwhelm a dish with a pungent, bitter favour. Here is it lovely and rich in the melted butter that the oyster mushrooms tend to suck up absorbing the flavour, This is a dish to let your guests know how much you like to spoil them!

Some cookbooks make me happy when I cook from them. The flavours and dishes are unique. I waited a long time before buying this book and regretted that decision. This is a beautiful book; the recipes are unique in how this genius chef combines flavours and dishes. All the recipes pop with flavours, beautifully laid out dishes, and excellent food. This restaurant is on my bucket list the next time I visit Venice, California.

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Ingredients:

For the mushrooms:

6 oyster mushrooms, halved if very large

Olive oil spray

Salt, to taste

1/2 teaspoon pepper

For the tarragon butter:

4 tablespoons butter at room temperature

3-4 leaves of tarragon

1 teaspoon parsley, minced

1 teaspoon chives or scallions

1 garlic clove

1 teaspoon lemon or orange zest

Mix all the ingredients for the tarragon butter well. Set aside.

Heat the oven in broil mode. Arrange a rack about 5 inches from the broiler.

Add the mushrooms, cut side down to a nice oven-safe baking dish that you can bring out to the table. Spray liberally with oil and sprinkle salt and pepper all over. Broil for 3-4 minutes till the mushrooms are well browned. Remove and add small dollops of the tarragon butter to the mushrooms and add back to the oven for 1 minute till the butter is melted.

Serve immediately.