Recipe:
Local lion’s mane, equally delicious and medicinal, is our choice for this recipe. It’s kept simple to let the mushroom’s natural flavor and texture shine – grilled and accented with a sauce made of fermented garlic honey, which besides being a flavor bomb, is also a magical concoction loaded with natural anti-bacterial, anti-viral and immune boosting properties. This dish hits the flavor notes of spicy, sweet and umami. It’s the perfect dish to help you stay healthy this winter.
Ingredients:
Spiced Fermented Garlic Honey
- Start early, keep on hand perpetually
- 3-4 bulbs garlic (broken into individual cloves and peeled)
- 16 oz. raw local honey
- 2 red thai chilis
- 2-3 cinnamon sticks
- 3-4 whole star anise
Add to make Yummm Sauce
- 2 oz. fresh ginger root (finely minced or micro planed)
- 4 oz. tamari (or shoyu)
- 2 oz. mirin (sweet rice wine)
- 2 tbsp. roasted sesame oil
- 2 oz. gochujang (fermented chili paste – homemade or store bought is ok)
Mushrooms & Garnish
- 3 to 4 large Lion’s Mane Mushrooms (Shiitake or Oyster Mushrooms)
- 1 small bunch green herbs to garnish (scallions, thai basil, coriander leaves)
- 2 – 3 oz. shaved radish (daikon or really any fresh radish)
To Make Fermented Garlic Honey:
- Mix all ingredients together in a large sterilized glass mason jar. Spices are optional for extra dimension of flavor.
- Seal the container.
- The mixture will initially be very thick.
- Store in an area between 75-85 (f) degrees.
- 1-2 days – garlic will start to purge liquid and the mixture will begin to get a little looser.
- 3-4 days – the mixture will begin to become even more liquid, gently swirl the mixture to stir. Don’t open yet.
- 5-10 days – the mixture will become much thinner, bubbles will begin to emerge, you may burp the mixture at this point, as CO2 is being produced (note, the aroma will be quite strong).
- From this point on, the mixture is ready for use. It may be consumed as is, or turned into another sauce or marinade.
- Once you start using, this mixture can perpetually “live” in its container and always be ready for use (I’ve had batches for over 2 years). You simply need to continue to feed it. Leave some of the original batch and “feed” it with a little more fresh garlic and raw honey.
To Make Garlic Honey Yummm Sauce:
- Reserve half or more of your fermented garlic honey for future use.
- Mix 6 oz. of strained fermented garlic honey with the ginger, tamari, sesame oil, mirin, and gochujang.
- Whisk together until smooth.
- I like to pop in 4-5 pieces of the fermented garlic into the final sauce, as it continues to ferment and add some extra “funk” to your finished sauce.
Cook the Fungi
- Tear the lion’s mane into 2 to 4 large chunks.
- Brush lightly with the sauce – allow to soak in for at least 30 minutes.
- In the meanwhile, preheat a cast iron grill to medium-high heat.
- Place the chunks of mushrooms on the hot grill pan – do not move them.
- Allow to char for 3-4 minutes, baste lightly with sauce (caution, this may cause some smoke if indoors).
- Flip, char for another 3-4 minutes – do not move them again.
- Remove from grill pan.
- Garnish with the scallions, radishes, and other picked fresh green herbs.
Chef David Robbins (a true locavore chef) is an advocate for biodynamic agriculture, slow foods, clean eating/living, veggie forward cuisine, supporting family owned local businesses, and spreading education on all aspects of sustainability. Growing up on a small family farm in Hawaii gave him a unique appreciation and perspective for the places and people that produce our food. Chef Robbins launched “The Sunday Supper Club,” in collaboration with various local experts connected to a wide span of clean living components. Robbins describes the events as “a way to experience community, good eats, whole food philosophy, and meaningful conversations. His vision is to recreate the sense of healthy connectivity people had with the earth, their food, farmers, bakers, and neighbors that has been lost to too many of us in recent decades.
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