Blue oyster mushrooms are cooked down with garlic, orange juice and oyster sauce to make a savoury tapenade for warm Camembert.
Toasted sunflower seeds add texture, while fresh perilla leaves bring a bright finish.
Recipe by chef Adam Hayman
Mushrooms are a natural pairing with subtle, “bloomy rind” cheeses like brie and Camembert. The starter culture that is responsible for producing these cheeses, known as Penicillium camemberti, is itself a fungus, so naturally it produces a mushroom-like flavour in the cheeses it makes. These two recipes are tailored specifically for bloomy rind cheeses, but they also work well as a part of a larger charcuterie board.
Both species of mushrooms featured are forageable in Alberta forests, especially with the help of a trained guide. However, if that seems too daunting, Trafford Farms grows them as well (It’s always nice to support a locally owned company, too). The measurement for each recipe is for one package, but if you’re keen to forage the mushrooms yourself, the weight is provided.
Looking for another way to pair local mushrooms with cheese? Try chef Adam’s Chestnut Mushroom Conserva, served with sliced brie and crusty bread.
Blue Oyster Mushroom Tapenade with Camembert
Ingredients
- 130 g wild, blue oyster mushrooms, or one pack from Trafford Farms
- 1/4 cup toasted sunflower seeds
- 1 large garlic clove
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 250 g wedge or wheel of Camembert
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 perilla leaves, sliced into a thin chiffonade (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Trim the woody ends off the oyster mushrooms and pull the individual mushroom stalks apart. Cut the tops and stalks into 1cm-by-1cm (scant ½-inch-by-½-inch) pieces.
- Chop up your sunflower seeds or give them a quick pulse in a food processor. Set them aside.
- Mince the clove of garlic. Place the garlic and oil in a frying pan and warm them up over medium heat.
- Once the garlic begins to sizzle, add the mushrooms.
- Stir occasionally for six minutes. You want to develop some colour on the mushroom pieces, and you’ll notice the mushrooms quickly absorb the oil in the pan, which is what you want. The mushrooms will begin sticking to the pan forming a fond. The fond is good as long as it doesn’t burn. If it’s taking on too much colour, take it off the heat and quickly move to the next step.
- Deglaze the pan with the orange juice and oyster sauce. Keep cooking until the liquid has reduced to a thicker, saucy consistency. Remove the pan from the heat.
- Add the sunflower seeds and salt. Taste for seasoning. Place the Camembert in a small, oven-safe baking dish. Score the top with a few slashes and then warm the Camembert cheese in the oven for 15 minutes.
- Add the sunflower seeds and salt. Taste for seasoning. Place the Camembert in a small, oven-safe baking dish. Score the top with a few slashes and then warm the Camembert cheese in the oven for 15 minutes.
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