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Jumbo Asparagus with Oyster Mushrooms and Pecorino

Source of Recipe

Rocco DiSpirito


List of Ingredients

� cup olive oil
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
1 heaping teaspoon chopped fines herbes (a mixture of chervil, chives,
parsley, and tarragon), or any one of or combination of the four herbs
Zest of 1 lemon
Ground white pepper to taste
� pound cleaned and trimmed fresh oyster mushrooms
6 sprigs thyme
2 tablespoons to � cup kosher salt
Salt to taste
16 spears jumbo asparagus (about 1 bunch), or 28 medium spears
� cup sherry vinegar
1 cup mushroom stock (optional)
4 ounces young pecorino cheese (look for a 6-month pecorino Toscano)


Recipe

In a medium bowl or baking dish, whisk together oil, shallots, herbs,
and lemon zest. Season to taste with pepper. Add mushrooms and thyme
sprigs and toss. Let the mushrooms marinate at room temperature ten
minutes or overnight in refrigerator.
Bring a large stockpot of water to a boil and add 2 tablespoons kosher
salt. For this dish, you can serve the asparagus warm or room
temperature. If serving at room temperature, prepare an ice bath with 2
tablespoons salt dissolved in water.
While water comes to a boil, prep the asparagus. Trim them by gently
breaking stalks where they naturally snap a few inches from the base. If
using jumbo asparagus, peel them to about � inch below the tip. Bundle
spears with kitchen twine and cook in the boiling water until they are
tender throughout when pierced with a cake tester, about 5 minutes.
Drain the asparagus. If serving at room temperature, shock in ice bath.
If serving warm, don't shock. Discard twine.
Heat a large, 10- to 12-inch skillet over high heat. Lift the mushrooms
out of their marinade directly into the pan to form a single layer of
mushrooms (don't overcrowd the pan). Season with salt and pepper and
cook until browned and tender, then move onto a plate and tent with
foil. Wipe oil from pan and repeat with any remaining mushrooms. When
all mushrooms have been cooked, pull pan off heat and add 2 tablespoons
of the vinegar. Scrape up and dissolve any browned bits. Pour this pan
sauce over the mushrooms.
Make a dressing by seasoning the remaining � cup sauce vierge with
vinegar to your taste; you may not need all the remaining vinegar. If
using mushroom stock, reduce stock to 1 tablespoon in a saucepan over
high heat, lowering heat as volume of liquid shrinks. Whisk reduced
stock into dressing. Season with salt and pepper.
To serve, divide asparagus spears among four plates or arrange on a
serving platter. Top with the mushrooms and shave pecorino over salad (a
vegetable peeler works great for this purpose). Douse everything with
dressing and finish with a dusting of ground pepper.