A few days ago, I was gifted with a large amount of wild mushrooms, so I have been eating mushroom everything for a few days! I have blended them into soup, cooked them with cream, and sautéed them in butter… but my favourite way to cook them (surprise, surprise!) is a la Mexicana.
I posted another recipe for Zucchini a la Mexicana a couple of weeks ago, and as I said then, anything can be made this way. Especially good when you have field ripe tomatoes and veggies from your garden, this recipe comes together in just a few minutes.
Let’s talk about our mushrooms, as they are the stars of this show! I used those wonderfully firm and meaty Japanese Maitake mushrooms that look like a beautiful brown and white flower. Maitakes are a type of adaptogen, high in antioxidants, fiber, vitamins B and C and minerals. They have been used in Japanese culture for centuries for their medicinal properties and health benefits. They can be grilled, pan-fried, used in stir fries or salads, but best of all, they taste delicious!
If Maitakes are hard to find where you are, you can use oyster, fresh shiitakes (just remove the stem) or any other wild mushroom available. If you still can’t find wild mushrooms, you can use regular white or café mushooms, or even baby portobellos. Your local farmer’s market may have a vendor that would provide you with something delicious to cook. In Ottawa, I recommend Forest Floor Mushrooms, they have amazingly beautiful varieties, and they’re worth searching out for sure.
Whatever mushroom you decide to cook, they will all be delicious. Once you make this recipe, you can serve it as a side dish, but you can also make the most epic tostadas with them, or use them to make tacos or quesadillas. You can even use them for filling tetelas or making sopes. So you have a multipurpose dish that can work in many ways. In this case, you can have leftovers for days and not eat them the same way twice. That’s a win in my books!
I hope this inspires you to go out and find some wild mushrooms. Let me know if you do!
Setas a la Mexicana
Wild Mushrooms, Mexican Style
3-4 Tbsp vegetable, avocado or light olive oil
1/2 medium white onion, diced (about 1 cup)
1 jalapeño or Serrano chile, minced (seeded if you want less heat)
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ancho chile powder (optional)
1 large ripe field tomato, diced (about 1 cup)
300g wild mushrooms, torn apart or chopped (4 cups), (oyster, maitake, shiitake or any mixture)
3/4 cup chicken broth
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Lime wedges for serving
In large 12” frying pan heat oil over medium high heat and cook onion and jalapeño until soft and translucent.
Add garlic and cook only until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add ancho chile powder (if using), and cook another minute.
Add tomatoes and cook for about 5 minutes, just until they start to break down. Add mushrooms, toss well in the sauce and then add chicken stock and a pinch of salt.
Bring mixture to a boil, then turn heat down to a simmer. Place lid on pan and cook for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, if you have a lot of liquid still left, you can remove the lid and reduce liquid to your liking. I like it to be moist but not runny.
Season to taste with salt and pepper and add cilantro just before serving.
These mushrooms are great as a side dish, but are great on tacos, tostadas, quesadillas, etc.
Serves 4.