Creamy Mushroom Toast
These garlicky mushrooms will change the way you see mushrooms. Top that on some lemon ricotta toast for a delicious lunch.
Mushrooms on toast is a fabulous light lunch that you didn’t know you’d fall in love with, and yet here you are. LOVING it! The key to delicious mushrooms are sauteing them to perfection. That’s why you hated mushrooms growing up. Over nine minutes we will roast our mushrooms in a pan with some butter, then toss in some minced garlic. We add our cream to the pan to deglaze and let the cream reduce into our cooked mushrooms before we top them on warm toasted sourdough with a dollop of cool lemony ricotta. It’s a masterpiece in texture, temperature, and taste. Please try it, ESPECIALLY if you don’t like mushrooms.
Let me repeat the secret to delicious mushrooms, it’s time! Roasting mushrooms in the oven? You need plenty of fat, and time. A properly caramelized mushroom has a delicious chew on the outside that’s almost sweet, with a savory juicy bite on the inside. If you don’t give yourself time, your mushrooms will end up being rubbery. That external sear is what gives the mushroom depth of texture.
The first time I tried and loved mushrooms was in culinary school. We served them on baguette crostini with sweated leeks, fresh thyme and a shaving of gruyere cheese on top. It was quite possibly the best combination of flaors that I had eaten at that point. Thus my mushrooms journey has begun and it’s never too late.
Topping these mushrooms on bread makes for some seriously superior textures. Crunchy, chewy, crisp, and juicy even. Texture plays an important role in a delicious meal to satisfy your brain. On this toast we have a crisp airy bread with a creamy ricotta spread topped with severely flavorful mushrooms. ALl three of these components work without overshadowing the mushrooms, but exsentuating the mushrooms beauty.
I top my mushrooms toasts different all the time. I will always add any fresh refreshing green that I have on hand, by preference arugula, then parsley, spinach, kale or romaine. Finish that off with a dollop of chili oil or even a drizzle of balsamic glaze. YUM!
Life’s too short to just hate mushrooms the rest of your life.
Creamy Mushroom Toast
Allergens: Gluten
Diet: Low-Calorie Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 2 slices thick-cut soft French bread
- 12 oz. baby bella mushrooms, quartered
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 garlic cloves, pasted
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1/2 cup whipping cream
- 1/2 cup ricotta
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Preparation
- Preheat a cast iron pan over medium-high heat.
- Add olive oil to the pan and toast your two slices of bread in the pan until golden—around 1 minute per side. Remove from heat to a plate.
- Add mushrooms to the pan with butter—season with salt and pepper. Cook mushrooms until golden brown, 7 - 9 minutes.
- While your mushrooms are cooking, in a bowl mix ricotta with salt, half lemon, and mix. Set aside.
- Add garlic to the mushroom pan until fragrant.
- Add cream to the pan and reduce until all the cream has reduced into the mushrooms. It should start turning lightly golden.
- Finish the mushrooms with a squeeze of lemon, then spread ricotta on toast, and top mushrooms on each toast.
- Garnish with thick crushed black pepper.