Right after the ball dropped on New Year’s Day, 2022 was declared the year of the mushroom. Mushrooms adorned Instagram and blog posts almost immediately, and we learned how to spell maitake and shiitake.
But with good reason: Mushrooms are hearty, filling and amenable to myriad flavors and sauces. And if you cook them well, they crisp up like fries. So I’m celebrating the year of the mushroom, and this combination of maitake mushrooms, spicy sun dried tomatoes, sweet caramelized onions and earthy sage does that celebration justice. The recipe has a few moving parts, but it’s worth it.
I use my Spicy Sun-Dried Tomato Spread in this recipe. It's spicy, smoky and sweet from the red pepper flakes, paprika, fennel seeds and honey. A truly flavorful spread that's delicious by itself--but better with the layers of this mushroom toast, for sure!
I find caramelizing onions to be meditative--especially because they take a bit of time. You want to stir them every so often but mostly leave them alone . Caramelizing takes time, but keep it on low heat. Once onions are soft, not burnt, with a rich, brown color, turn off heat and set aside.
Just pick your favorite bread, and let’s make toast. For tools and appliances, you need a cast iron or heavy-bottomed pot, a blender and potentially a microwave to rehydrate sun dried tomatoes quickly, if necessary. Oh: and a toaster for that favorite bread of yours! Enjoy, and comment below if you try it!
Crispy mushrooms, spicy sun-dried tomatoes, caramelized onions, and fried sage all on toast? Yeah, let’s make toast.
20 Minutes
40 Minutes
1 Hour
Step 1
Make the Spicy Sun-Dried Tomato Spread. Set aside.
Step 2
Caramelize the onions. Add 1 tbsp of oil to a cast iron or similar pan on low heat. Once shimmering, add the onions and 1 tsp of salt, and stir often so that onions don’t stick to the pan. You want to leave them alone but stir every few mins to prevent burning. Caramelizing takes time, but keep it on low heat. Once onions are soft, not burnt, with a rich, brown color, turn off heat and set aside.
Step 3.
Cook the mushrooms and sage. Add 2 tbsp of oil to the same pan on medium-to-high heat. Once hot, add mushrooms to the pan, but don’t crowd the pan! Flip after 2 minutes, and after 2 more minutes, remove from heat. Cook longer if you prefer a crispier texture. Salt after cooking, not during, with the final 1 tsp of salt. Immediately add sage leaves to the pan, and crisp for 1-2 minutes.
Step 4
Toast your bread. Assemble the toast: spread, onions, mushrooms, sage. Top with flaky salt.
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