You probably know this by now, but we love mushrooms. We like regular store bought ones, and ones we Forage. So, the other day, when we were out to dinner, when my wife and I saw “Vegan Scallops,” we were naturally intrigued. She ordered them, and they turned out to be sliced and seared king oyster mushroom stems…and they had a texture and flavour similar to Sea Scallops. Of course, with that knowledge, we decided to try to recreate them at home!
We started by cutting our mushroom and then soaking it in an old bay infused liquid to ensure the mushrooms would have a nice plumpness as they cooked. Once they had soaked enough, we patted the exteriors dry, made some cross cuts, and seared in butter to brown. The result was exactly as we’d hoped!
These little morsels would be great as a dinner component or as an appetizer. We served ours as a main over pearled couscous alongside steamed cauliflower.
Time: 20 Minutes (+60 minutes soaking time)
Ingredients:
- King Oyster Mushrooms
- Old Bay Seasoning
- Water
Method:
- Cut the very bottom, woody parts of your mushroom stalks off, and discard.
- Cut your stalks and tops into cross sections, between 1/2 and 3/4 inch thick.
- Slice cross-cuts into the top and bottom of each mushroom piece.
- Sprinkle some old bay seasoning over your “scallops,” and place in a baking dish. Cover with water, and soak for an hour in the fridge.
- When ready to cook, heat some butter in a cast iron pan.
- Use a kitchen towel or paper towels to pat your “scallops” dry.
- Sear your “scallops” in your butter until they turn golden brown on both sides.
- Plate, devour, and enjoy!
