Matsutake Chicken

The matsutake mushroom has a delicious, unique flavor. I'm not prepared to describe it, other than yummy. Anyway, those of you lucky enough to live on the west coast can sometimes find it fresh. The rest of us have to make do with dried. That's okay, the dried mushroom retains a lot of its flavor, and you get some good broth to boot, and even if you can't find dried matsus at your store, you can get it online (and it's worth it at least once, trust me). This recipe is something I whipped together myself in order to showcase the taste of the mushroom. I'm sure it would be good in a lot of other recipes, but this one is a little treat for the two of us whenever I get some dried matsus.

Ingredients

• 1 oz dried matsutake mushrooms
• 1lb chicken parts, cut up (I use thighs, personally)
• 1 onion, chopped
  
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1T fish sauce
• 1T soy sauce
• 1t five-spice powder

Preparation

Boil 2c water, pour over the mushrooms, let them sit for 30-60 minutes. Fish out the mushrooms, keep them aside. Strain the soaking water (I use a coffee filter) to get the grit out, into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, simmer uncovered for 15-20 minutes, until reduced to about 1/2c. Add soy sauce, fish sauce, and five-spice powder. Simmer for another 3 minutes, until the fish sauce doesn't smell so funky. Return the matsutakes to the sauce, remove from heat.

Stir-fry up the onions, garlic, and chicken over very high heat. In the last minute of the stirfry, mix in the sauce. Serve over white rice.

This is a pretty basic stirfry, feel free to mix in some other ingredients such as green beans, carrots, or even thinly-sliced sunchokes. I also sometimes add in 4-8 oz of more pedestrian mushrooms, such as shiitake or crimini.

Cider-glazed, Stuffed Pork Roast

Ingredients

• Pork Loin Roast - 2-3 lbs
• 1/4c thinly-sliced, peeled apple
  
• 3 Oz Blue Cheese
• 4 slices Prosciutto, chopped
  
• 1/4 c chopped pecans
• 2T + 2T dried cranberries
• 1 butternut squash
  
• 4 T Cider Vinegar
• 3c Apple Cider
• 1c chicken broth
  
• 2 cloves garlic
• 8 sage leaves, chopped
  

Preparation
Preheat oven to 375
Peel and seed squash, cut into 1" dice. Toss 2/3 of the squash with olive oil, salt, pepper. Bake for 30 mins.

Slice pork roast open like a hot-dog bun. Place cheese, prosciutto, apples, pecans, 2T cranberries inside, roll closed and tie shut with twine. Line bottom of baking dish with reserved (uncooked) squash. Place tied-up roast on top of the squash, pour in 1/4c cider. Bake for 60 mins (okay if it overlaps with squash), until it's done.

Once the squash is baked, let it cool.
Saute 1 clove of garlic and half the sage in EVOO over medium heat. Add 2T cider vinegar, 1.5 c Cider, 1/2 c chicken broth, baked squash, 2T cranberries. Simmer until squash is tender and liquid is absorbed - moosh it up with a spoon.

In a small saucepan, combine 2T vinegar, 1.5 c Cider, 1/2c chicken broth, salt, pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, reduce heat. Simmer until quite thick, and reduced to 1/2c or so.

Let the roast rest for 5 mins after removed from the oven - slice it 2" thick, plate on top of the squash moosh, and pour the cider reduction over it.

I served it with steamed collard greens on the side.

This dish is an adaptation of something I ate at Zingerman's Roadhouse in December of 2007. That was a stuffed porkchop with similar ingredients and a similar flavor. I didn't get their recipe, of course, but I wrote down the most obvious flavors in there.

Overall, the roast was absolutely delicious. Having quality blue cheese is key here - the roast really took on the flavor of the cheese. I used Point Reyes blue, which has a special place in my heart.