GRILLED SESAME SHIITAKES SEMILLA

SOURCE: JANE SIGAL. BISTRONOMY: RECIPES FROM THE BEST NEW PARIS BISTROS.

Éric Trochon sowed Semilla in the heart of Saint-Germain just less than a year fresh from reaping the prestigious Meilleur Ouvrier de France title. Since its soft opening, the 60-seater bistro has dazzled locals and foreigners alike with a small starter plate of grilled shiitakes emboldened by the dark umami richness of tamari and the burnt smokiness of toasted sesame oil. Condensing East Asian ingredients with a French accent gave Éric a blueprint to invite his patrons into following his personal and professional momenta over the next decade when he would attach a next-door spin-off, Freddys, and launched the Michelin-starred Solstice with his Korean sommelier wife, whom he married in 2014.

Ingredients

4 teaspoons/20 mL toasted sesame oil

4 teaspoons/20 mL tamari

20 small shiitake mushrooms, preferably of the same size, stems removed

Salt, preferably fleur de sel, and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Chopped scallions for garnish

Specific Equipment

Small bowl

Spoon

Griddle OR large cast-iron skillet, wide enough to hold all the mushrooms at the same time

Grill press

Serves 4

Instructions

1. Stir the sesame oil and tamari in a small bowl with a spoon until well-blended and set aside.

2. Set the griddle or cast-iron skillet over high heat until smoking hot. Reduce the heat to medium and grill in the mushrooms cap-side down for 1 to 2 minutes or until the droplets of moisture appear on the surface. Turn the mushrooms over and grill for 1 more minute, flattening each mushroom with a grill press, or until the mushrooms are tender and their caps have opened.

3. Remove the griddle or cast-iron skillet from heat and arrange the mushrooms in concentric circles on a large serving plate or divide them equally among individual plates. Season with salt and pepper and spoon over the sesame oil-tamari mixture. Sprinkle with chopped scallions for garnish.