Exotic Mushroom Pizza Recipes

Steps:

• Remove any hard fibrous stems from the mushrooms. Wash morels very carefully to remove all sand and dirt. Brush the remaining mushrooms with a damp cloth or mushroom brush to remove excess dirt. Slice the mushrooms in half or quarters depending on size.
• Heat butter in a large skillet over high heat until hot. Add the chopped shallots and saute until translucent. Add the mushrooms to the shallot butter mixture. Saute until the mushrooms begin to wilt, about 7 to 8 minutes. Add the chicken stock or reserved mushroomsoaking liquid. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and allow the liquid to cook off in the uncovered saute pan.
• By the time the liquid has cooked off, the mushrooms should be tender. Add the vermouth and allow to cook for 1 minute before adding the cream. Heat the cream to just below the boil and add the herbs, salt, and pepper and serve immediately.

Steps:

• Put pizza stone in oven and heat to 425 degrees. While stone is heating, brush olive oil evenly over shell and bake 5 to 7 minutes or until oil bubbles. (If using thin crust pizza, you can eliminate pre-baking of the pizza crust.)
• While shell bakes begin cooking the mushrooms. Heat saute or fry pan on high heat, add the oil, garlic and shallots and quickly saute for approximately 30 seconds. Do not allow the garlic/shallot mixture to burn.
• Add mushrooms to hot pan, saute quickly until most of the mushroom juices have evaporated (3 to 5 minutes), then add wine. Continue to saute until wine completely evaporates and mushrooms have turned a darker shade or brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove mushroom mixture from heat.
• Remove shell from oven (leave stone in oven to keep it hot) and allow to cool slightly. Spread the gorgonzola cheese evenly over the warm crust so that it melts slightly. You can dip your fingers in olive oil to spread the gorgonzola. Spread the mushroom mixture evenly over the crust. Add the Fontina cheese, distributing it as evenly as possible. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Place on hot stone in oven and bake 12 to 15 minutes or until cheese is lightly browned and bubbly. Cool and cut into small rectangles for hors d'oeuvres or into pie-shaped pieces for first course or main course portions. Serve warm or at room temperature.
• This recipe can be adjusted to suit personal taste such as adding dried, red hot pepper or use different cheeses; however you should not eliminate the gorgonzola. It can be served with champagne as an hors d'oeuvre and with dry red wine as an appetizer or main course with a tossed salad.

Steps:

• Chop shallots and slice garlic. In a 6-quart kettle bring broth and water to a boil with shallots, garlic, dried mushrooms, and thyme and cook at a bare simmer 1 hour. Line a large sieve with a double thickness of cheesecloth or dampened paper towels and pour liquid through sieve into a large bowl. Press hard on solids and discard. Broth may be made 3 days ahead and chilled, covered.
• Discard shiitake stems and thinly slice caps. In cleaned kettle simmer broth, shiitake caps, parsley, and Sherry, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes, or until mushrooms are tender, and season with salt and pepper.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spread walnuts in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Toast for 10 minutes, or until fragrant and lightly browned.
• In a large saute pan, cook shallots in butter over medium heat until translucent. Then add chopped mushrooms, garlic, parsley, thyme, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until most of the liquid has evaporated.
• Process toasted walnuts and olive oil in a blender or food processor until mixture forms a thick paste. Spoon in the cooked mushroom mixture, and process to desired texture.
• Pack mixture into well-oiled ramekins or bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place pizza crust on baking sheet.
• In a small bowl, mix together olive oil and sesame oil. Brush onto pre-baked pizza crust, covering entire surface. Stack the spinach leaves, then cut lengthwise into 1/2 inch strips; scatter evenly over crust. Cover pizza with shredded mozzarella, and top with sliced mushrooms.
• Bake in preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and edges are crisp.

Steps:

• Make the pâté:
• Butter loaf pan, then line bottom and sides with parchment paper and butter paper.
• Bring stock to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove pan from heat, add porcini, and let soak in hot stock until softened, about 30 minutes.
• With a slotted spoon, transfer porcini to a medium-mesh sieve set over a bowl. Press on porcini with back of a spoon to remove excess liquid, then add this to soaking liquid and reserve. Rinse porcini to remove any grit. Pat dry, chop, and put in a large bowl.
• Strain reserved soaking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve lined with a coffee filter or dampened paper towel into another small saucepan. Bring to a brisk simmer over moderate heat and simmer until reduced to about 1/4 cup, about 10 minutes. Add to porcini.
• Put a rack in middle of oven and preheat oven to 350°F. Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a large nonstick skillet over moderate heat until foam subsides. Add shallots and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened, about 6 minutes. Add sherry and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Transfer mixture to a blender. Heat 2 more tablespoons butter in skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides. Add one third of shiitake and oyster mushrooms and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cook remaining mushrooms in 2 batches, adding 2 more tablespoons butter to skillet for each batch. Add 2 cups sautéed mushrooms to shallot mixture in blender, and add remaining mushrooms to porcini mixture.
• Add cream, then eggs and almonds to blender and purée until mixture is very smooth, about 1 minute. Add purée to porcini mixture and stir in parsley, thyme, bread crumbs, lemon juice, salt, and pepper until well combined. Pour mixture into loaf pan and cover with foil.
• Put loaf pan in a larger baking pan and add enough boiling water to reach halfway up sides of loaf pan. Bake until set 1/2 inch from edges, about 50 minutes (pâté will not be completely set in center). Remove loaf pan from baking pan and let cool to room temperature on a rack. Refrigerate pâté in loaf pan, covered, for at least 6 hours. Bring pâté to room temperature before adding topping.
• While the pâté comes to room temperature, make the topping:
• Heat butter and oil in a large skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides. Add mushrooms and almonds and cook, stirring, until mushrooms are tender and liquid they give off has evaporated, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a heatproof bowl and let cool, then add parsley, salt, and pepper and toss to combine.
• To unmold pâté, run a thin knife between paper and edges of loaf pan. Invert a large plate over loaf pan and invert pâté onto plate (peel off paper). Mound topping on pâté, and spread on toasts and/or crackers.