Here in the northeast we are having some…weather. The kind that results in the very rare and elusive city snow day. This, my friends, is the first time in nearly five years that I have not gone to the office due to snow. City dwellers are expected to tromp to work in any kind of weather. But this time, heavy precipitation, temperatures that will freeze your face right off, high winds, and timing right after the holidays when many people are still on vacation, have truly created the perfect storm (pun very much intended).
Here is the thing about snow in New York. In theory it all sounds very romantic- the bustling city getting quiet, white snow glistening over Central Park against the backdrop of the skyline, etc. The reality is nothing like this, unless you live on Central Park West, Fifth Avenue or inside Bergdorf Goodman. For mortals like me, the truth is much, much browner. As soon as that snow hits the ground, it turns into a brownish black pile of danger. If you don’t have a super who keeps the heat at the right temperature- and you probably don’t- you may find yourself wearing gloves inside and draping yourself with as many cats as you can find. And though it feels wrong to wear snow pants to the grocery store, I found myself wishing I’d brought along my pick-axe as I scaled a 4 foot peak blocking the crosswalk this morning.
But I digress. The point is that today, due to the aforementioned weather, I found myself with the task of making lunch, something I usually outsource to the friendly folks at Just Salad. But what to make? After leafing through some of the books Santa brought me this year, I found an inspiring little picture of mushrooms on toast. I love mushrooms (I like to snack on them raw), I love toast, and it looked like the perfect snow day solution.
I had initially planned to put a poached egg on top of this masterpiece, but to be honest I got so hungry once I had all the pieces assembled that I just went for it sans œuf. The flavors of the garlic, parsley, sage, brown butter and sourdough bread mingled so perfectly with the mushrooms, that I couldn’t believe I hadn’t been making mushroom toasts my entire life.The only real rule is to make sure you cook your mushrooms in a large saucepan, larger than you think you’ll need, so that they have have space to properly brown instead of turning into soggy mushroom soup.
The next time you have a snow day (we are only 12 days into winter!) or are just looking for something quick and tasty to throw together, I hope you’ll try these toasts. They are the perfect meal to make for one or two people without creating two week’s worth of leftovers. Customize them to your liking, this recipe is really more of a suggestion!
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, one slivered thinly and one sliced in half
- 1 1/2 tablespoons sage, half chopped, half kept whole
- 2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 3/4 pound mushrooms (4 ounces button, 4 ounces cremini, 4 ounces oyster), sliced
- 6 thin slices Parmesan
- 2 large slices of sourdough bread
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large pan with the olive oil. Add the slivered garlic to the pan along with the chopped sage, half the parsley and a pinch of salt. Swirl the pan over low heat for 2-3 minutes to infuse (the garlic shouldn't brown).
- Turn the heat up to high and add the mushrooms, tossing them in the butter/oil. When they have browned and wilted, taste and season with salt and pepper (remember that the Parmesan that is going to be on the toast is salty!)
- Grill, broil or toast the sourdough in the pan until lightly charred around the edges. Rub the garlic halves on the warm toast.
- Divide the Parmesan between the two slices of bread and scatter half the mushrooms and their juices over the top of each.
- Return the empty frying pan to the heat. Add the remaining butter and sage and heat over medium heat until the sage is crisp and the butter has lightly browned.
- Drizzle the brown butter and crisp sage leaves over the mushroom and toast. Sprinkle with remaining parsley. Serve hot.
Notes
Adapted from A Suitcase and a Spatula
