Lunchbreak: Pan-Roasted Mushrooms with Golden Fried Eggs

Sarah Grueneberg – Chef/Owner, Monteverde and Author, Listen To Your Vegetables

Monteverde

1020 W. Madison Street, Chicago

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Book:

Listen To Your Vegetables, https://www.harpercollins.com/products/listen-to-your-vegetables-sarah-gruenebergkate-heddings?variant=40052128022562

*Celebrate the release of Chef Sarah’s cookbook today (Tuesday 10/25) during happy hour from 4:30p-6:30p at Monteverde!

Recipe:

PAN-ROASTED FANCY MUSHROOMS WITH GOLDEN FRIED EGGS, BITTER GREENS, AND BALSAMIC

Serves 2 as a main or 4 as part of a brunchy spread

Don’t let the long recipe title scare you away from this easy and addictive dish! A little care with the common combo of mushrooms and eggs goes a long way—once you try these eggs cooked in browned butter, it’s a game changer. Feel free to use any green you have on hand, as spinach, kale, and Swiss chard all would work well in this dish. And of course, if you can’t find any of these fancy mushrooms, use what you can find. Cremini, button, portobello, and shiitake are most common. If you go this route, I recommend using a mix for maximum earthy flavor. Slice them about ¼ inch thick for the best sear.

2 tablespoons everyday olive oil

8 ounces assorted fancy mushrooms (like beech, maitake or hen of the woods, and oyster), torn into bite-sized pieces (see Get It Get It)

Kosher salt

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

4 large eggs

2 garlic cloves, sliced (I love to use spring garlic when it’s in season)

Leaves from ½ fresh rosemary sprig

5 ounces bitter greens (like curly endive, radicchio, escarole, or dandelion greens), washed and torn into 2- to 3-inch pieces (4 cups)

1 tablespoon young balsamic vinegar

Coarse sea salt (like Maldon)

¼ cup freshly shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano (use a Y-peeler)

Heat a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat and add the olive oil and mushrooms. Using a heatproof spatula, spread the mushrooms in an even layer. Cook undisturbed until golden on one side, 1 to 1½ minutes, then stir and repeat until the mushrooms are golden all over, about 5 minutes longer. Season with a few pinches of salt. Transfer to a bowl.
Lower the heat to medium. Add the butter and let it brown slightly, then pour the eggs into the quadrants of the pan, one at a time. Let them fry and bubble until the egg whites become golden-crispy on the edges but the yolks are still runny, 3 to 4 minutes. Halfway through the cooking process, add the garlic slices and rosemary to the butter in the spaces between the eggs. (Be careful, as the eggs will pop and splatter during this process.) Remove the pan from the heat and, using a spatula, transfer the eggs to a platter or baking sheet.
Return the pan to medium heat. Add the mushrooms, bitter greens, and balsamic vinegar. If you have an aged balsamic that is slightly thicker and sweeter, it’s fine to use it here! Just drizzle it on top of the dish instead of adding it to the pan. Stir to combine, then cook until warmed and the greens are slightly wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Season with a pinch of salt. Place the eggs back in the pan and remove from the heat. Sprinkle a pinch of sea salt on top of each egg yolk, garnish with shaved parm, and serve.

Get It Get It: A lot of mushrooms are sold in clusters that are attached at the root. There is no need to cut these; rather, I like to separate them by tearing them into pieces. And make sure to give the mushrooms enough time to pan-roast and become crispy and golden, which creates the most robust and irresistible mushroom flavor. Crack the eggs into small bowls so that you can easily place them into the pan without a shell sneaking in.