Not
Mush-room

Mushrooms / Wild Garlic / Pancake

#Story
Time

Another cracking dish from our Sous Chef at Junk, Bar & Restaurant - Mr. McIlroy.

So story time… I first met Conner when I inherited him in a job I was taking over as head chef (best inheritance a man can get). Seriously, I think I lost every Chef apart from Conner, T-bone & Graham, another story for another time I was also a complete cunt back then but alas, this is about McIlroy.

He was very pale, very ginger & very skinny … still is very pale, very ginger and very skinny BUT back then he always used to wear a wee baseball cap… a young guy, very pale and very skinny alway in a hat I assumed he had some sort of illness. Yes, not the most forward thinking but nobody else in the whole brigade wore a hat, so my assumption is he must have alopecia or cancer or something bad that he doesn’t want to take the hat off. So a couple of weeks went on. Think I am in the pastry kitchen with Conner admiring the absolute cleanliness of the place and getting chatting about things and stuff. I thought this would be a good time to bring up the hat. Fearing the worst response… It was something like.. “Just thought I would wear a hat”… nothing bad, nothing to worry about, just liked the shape of that hat. So that was that, end of the conversation. I do feel like a bit of a dick as from then on there was no more hat. All I have to say Conner is, “ You do you!” You’re bloody fabulous in all forms. Hat or none (just not in the kitchen).

Cam x

Junk’s Jam:

Serves 4

Hey!

Not Mush-room! See what we did there… ay!?! A cracking wee dish from Mr McIlroy inspired by all things Salt & Chilli. Utter Junk and so bloody tasty!

Equipment…

>10cm Ring Mold
>Spice Grinder
>Blender

The Recipe

Stage #1
>the PREP

Mushrooms & Stock

200g Oyster Mushrooms
100ml Milk

  • Place Mushrooms into a wide based pan and cover with water. Boil for 2 hours. Strain and reserve cooking liquid.

  • Place pot back on the stove and reduce the liquid until almost completely dry. This will make your Mushroom Stock.

  • Whilst reducing, peel the Mushrooms into strips and reserve in just enough Milk to cover slightly for cooking.

 
 

Salt & Chilli Seasoning

 

4 tbsp Salt
2 tbsp Caster Sugar
2 tsp Five Spice
1 tbsp Crushed Chilli Flakes
2 tsp Garlic Powder
2 tsp Ground Ginger
1 1/2 tsp Sansho Pepper (Szechuan Peppercorns)
1 tsp White Sesame Seeds
1 tsp Black Sesame Seeds
1 tsp MSG

  • Toast off the Sesame Seeds and Peppercorns in a hot pan until aromatic (be careful not to burn). Remove off the heat.

  • Pulse everything together in a Spice Grinder or Pestle & Mortar.

Pickled Shrooms

The mushrooms can be kept in the pickle for weeks so can be made well in advance. The pickle can also be re-used once more.

200g Oyster Mushroom s
100ml Olive Oil (fruity)
100ml White Wine Vinegar
50ml White Wine 
50ml Red Wine Vinegar
100ml Water 
2 tbsp Coriander Seeds
2 tbsp Fennel Seeds
2 Bay Leaves

Salt

  • Mix all the wet ingredients and the spices together in a bowl.

  • Place pan on a medium-high heat. Peel the Mushrooms into strips and then stir fry. Season. Once coloured add the wet ingredients and boil for 5 minutes.  Reserve for later.

 
 

Gochujang Pancakes

1 tbsp Gochujang
75ml Milk
1 Egg
120g Plain Flour
1 Spring Onion (Chopped)

Salt
Oil

  • In one bowl beat together the Egg, Milk & Gochujang, in another bowl mix the Flour, Salt & Spring Onions. 

  • Whisk wet ingredients into dry ingredients .

  • Place a pan with a splash of Oil on med-high heat. Once hot add a ladle of pancake mix.

  • Fry until small bubbles appear in the middle of the pancake and the edge begins to go crispy then flip.  Cook for another 30 seconds and transfer to a chopping board . Repeat this process four times then cut into circles with a 10cm Ring Mold.

 
 

Wild Garlic Oil

300g Wild Garlic 
600ml Vegetable Oil

  • Blend the Wild Garlic and Vegetable Oil on a high speed until smooth. Place blended oil in a pan and bring up to the boil. Take the oil off the heat and strain through a Sieve lined with Cheesecloth.

  • Reserve half the Oil for garnishing .

 
 

Wild Garlic Mayo

3 Egg Yolks 
1 tsp Dijon Mustard 
1 tbsp White Wine Vinegar 
1/2 of the Wild Garlic Oil

Pinch of Salt 

  • Whisk together the Egg Yolks, Dijon, Vinegar & Salt then slowly drizzle the remaining Wild Garlic Oil into this mix and whisk until emulsified.

 
 

Mushroom Sabayon

4 Egg Yolks
30ml White Wine Vinegar
140ml Olive Oil


Lemon (Juice)
Reduced Mushroom Stock
Salt

  • In a bowl whisk together over a Bain Marie the Vinegar and Egg Yolk until light and fluffy and have increased in volume by half. Take off heat and trickle in the Olive Oil slowly whilst continually whisking .

  • Season with Salt, Mushroom Stock & Lemon Juice to taste.

Garnish

2 leaves of Wild Garlic

  • Chop into small strips.

Stage #2
>Cook it baby!

 

  • Toss the Peeled Mushroom Strips in a half/half mix of seasoned Flour & Cornflour. Fry at 180ºc for 3 minutes or until crispy. Season with Salt & Chilli Mix.

  • Warm the pancake in the oven for a few minutes.

Stage #3
>Assemble