At Bartlett House in Ghent, Chef Nicole Craft uses this versatile mushroom salsa as a spread on her poached chicken sandwich (it’s also great on chips). If you prefer a milder salsa, remove the seeds from the pepper before adding it to the blender.
Ingredients
1 serrano or jalapeño pepper
1 Tbsp grapeseed, vegetable, or canola oil
2 shallots, chopped, divided
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped, divided
1 lb mixed mushrooms, such as oyster, porcini, and chanterelle, diced
1 Tbsp chopped parsley
1 Tbsp chopped cilantro
zest of 1 lemon
salt to taste
Method
Over an open flame or burner, grill pepper, turning occasionally, until blackened on all sides. Set aside.
In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add 1 shallot and 1 clove garlic, season with salt, and sauté until translucent. Add mushrooms, season with salt, and sear until slightly golden, about 1-2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are tender, another 8-10 minutes.
In a blender, combine parsley, cilantro, lemon zest, charred chili, and remaining shallot and garlic. Pulse until smooth. Add sautéed mushrooms and continue to pulse until salsa reaches desired texture (it can be as chunky as you like).
