Black Pearl Trumpet Mushroom

A cross between the king trumpet and king oyster mushroom—It has a meaty yet airy flavor with hints of sweetness that carries a peppery and earthy undertone. The taste packs a savory punch and will add a reliable umami flavor to your dish.

BBQ Pulled Mushrooms

Ingredients

4 Black Pearl mushrooms
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil 30 mL, divided
1 tsp smoked paprika
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
2 cloves garlic minced
¼ cup BBQ sauce 60 g

Method

Shred Mushrooms: Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). Clean mushrooms with a damp paper towel. Using two forks, shred the stems and caps roughly into pieces. Set on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
Shredding king oyster mushrooms with a fork.

Bake: Drizzle with 1 Tbsp of the oil, paprika, salt, cayenne, and garlic. Toss around to evenly coat the mushrooms, then bake for 20 minutes, or until mushrooms are a bit crispy and brown on the edges.

Sauté: Heat remaining 1 Tbsp oil in a large saute pan over medium high. Transfer cooked mushrooms to pan and add BBQ sauce. Stir and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until mixture is thick and fragrant. Serve warm on sandwiches, nachos, salads, tacos...or whenever you eat pulled pork!

Black Pearl Trumpet Mushroom Wellington with Rosemary and Pecans

Ingredients

1 box -2 sheets vegan puff pastry, thawed in the fridge overnight. (Use cold-not at room temp)
2 tablespoons olive oil (or butter)
2 pounds mushrooms, sliced, stems OK
1 large onion, diced
4–6 fat garlic cloves, rough chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary (or sage, or thyme)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup sherry wine ( not sherry vinegar) marsala wine, ruby port (or red wine or white wine) – or leave it out! see notes.
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1 cup chopped, toasted pecans ( or feel free to sub hazelnuts or walnuts)
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons truffle oil ( optional)

OPTIONS -if you want to add cheese, add 1/2 – 1 cup grated pecorino, gruyere, goat cheese or cream cheese- or use a meltable vegan cheese- or make vegan ricotta!
“Egg” wash – use nut milk, cream or melted coconut oil to brush on the pastry. If not worried about it being vegan, whisk an egg with a tablespoon of water.

Method

Make sure your puff pastry is thawed before you start -cold, but thawed. (Note if it is too warm, it may fall apart, if too cold, it will be too stiff to roll.)

Preheat oven to 400F
MAKE THE FILLING: Heat oil in an extra-large skillet or dutch oven, over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, onions, garlic, salt and rosemary and saute, stirring often, until mushrooms release all their liquid. Turn heat down to medium, and continue sauteing until all the liquid has evaporated, be patient, this will take a little time! Once the mushrooms are relatively dry in the pan, splash with the sherry wine and balsamic vinegar and again, sauté on medium heat until all the liquid has cooked off. This is important- you absolutely do not want a watery filling ( it will turn into a mess!). Add the toasted chopped pecans, pepper, truffle oil. Taste, adjust salt to your liking. At this point, you could fold in some cheese if you like.
Let the filling cool 15-20 minutes (you could make the filling a day ahead and refrigerate).
Fill 2 Puff Pastries: Carefully unroll the puff pastry onto a parchment-lined baking sheet (if it seems stiff, let it thaw a few more minutes until pliable). Gently, roll it out just a bit so it’s smooth ( do not roll too thin) extending it by 1/2 inch. Patch any holes. Place half the filling in a mound along the center (see photo) and working quickly, roll the pastry up, and over, seam side down. Fill and roll the second sheet.
Brush with the egg or eggless wash.
Score the pastry using a razor blade or sharp knife with your choice of design – cross-hatch, herringbone, leafy vine or just simple diagonal slits.
Bake: Place the sheet pan on the middle rack in the oven for 35 minutes, checking at 2o mins, and rotating pan for even browning if necessary. Let the pastry bake until it is a really deep golden color – to ensure it’s done and flaky all the way through. You may need to add 5 more minutes depending on your oven. Convection will help if you have this setting (use it for the last 5-10 minutes) Please, let’s not have any pale pastries!!! Nice and golden!
Cool for 5-10 minutes before cutting and serving. Garnish with Rosemary Sprigs. It’s OK to serve at room temp, but warm is best. See notes for making ahead!