Lion's Mane Mushroom Roast
Photo: Carolina Ayala / Contributor
Mushrooms have emerged as one of the most satisfying sustainable plant-based foods of the decade. Truly wild mushrooms like morels and chantarelles are harder to come by but exciting, cultivated varieties like maitake, oyster to Lion’s mane mushrooms can be found in supermarkets and have the appeal of meaty flavors minus the burden of eating an animal. These mushrooms are raised and harvested in indoor urban facilities requiring little or no energy.
Mushrooms are a fixture in my refrigerator, and I rotate through cremini, shiitake as well as portobello and after repeated cooking, what has emerged as the best way to cook them is a simple sauté, stir fry or a roast. You can season them with anything from salt and black pepper to soy sauce to balsamic vinegar. If roasting mushrooms in the oven, it’s best to do so high temperatures and for a short time ~ this prevents them from getting chewy. Also, mushrooms will often absorb the fat they are cooking in but within a few minutes, will release that fat. Here is a simple recipe for roasting Lion’s Mane mushrooms with onions and a few seasonings.