Alton Brown swaps meat for mushrooms in mushroom stroganoff toast, an easy, impressive appetizer and the ultimate vegetarian comfort food.

Course: Mains

Keyword: Appetizers, Comfort Food, Entertaining, Sides, Vegetarian

Mushroom Stroganoff Toast

Name: Mushroom Stroganoff Toast
Prep time: 75 min
Total time: 75 min
Ingredients: 8 ounces oyster mushrooms, tough ends removed and torn into generous bite-sized pieces; 3 tablespoons ghee, melted and divided; 1 1/4 tablespoons kosher salt, divided; 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more to taste; 1 pound mixed meaty mushrooms, such as cremini and button, trimmed and sliced 1/4 inch thick; 1/3 cup water; 4 scallions, thinly sliced on the bias and white and green parts separated; 3/4 cup sour cream; 2 tablespoons heavy cream; 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for serving; 4 (3/4-inch-thick) slices high-quality bread, such as country French or sourdough

Mushroom stroganoff toast on a grey plate

ACTIVE TIME: 1 15

TOTAL TIME: 1 15

Yield: 4 servings

Behold mushroom stroganoff toast, named after the famed Russian beef dish typified by sour cream and scallions or chives. Oyster mushrooms (my personal favorite) and plenty of black pepper make this toast special enough for company, not that you'd want to share it.

This recipe first appeared in Season 2 of Good Eats: Reloaded.

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8 ounces oyster mushrooms, tough ends removed and torn into generous bite-sized pieces
3 tablespoons ghee, melted and divided
1 1/4 tablespoons kosher salt, divided
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more to taste
1 pound mixed meaty mushrooms, such as cremini and button, trimmed and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1/3 cup water
4 scallions, thinly sliced on the bias and white and green parts separated
3/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for serving
4 (3/4-inch-thick) slices high-quality bread, such as country French or sourdough

Specialized Hardware

Digital kitchen scale

11-inch straight-sided saute pan

ACTIVE TIME: 1 15

TOTAL TIME: 1 15

Yield: 4 servings

Procedure

Heat your toaster oven to convection roast at 400°F or your main oven to 425°F.
Toss the oyster mushrooms with a tablespoon of the ghee and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Spread in an even layer on a quarter sheet pan or the pan that came with your toaster oven. Cook for 10 minutes, then flip the mushrooms and cook until tender and well-browned, another 5 to 8 minutes. Remove to a bowl, drizzle with the lemon juice, and set aside.
Heat a large, heavy skillet over high heat and add the sliced mushrooms and water. Cook until the mushrooms collapse — 2 to 4 minutes. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of ghee. Cook until the liquid has evaporated and the mushrooms brown — 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the scallion whites and half of their greens along with the remaining teaspoon of salt and the pepper.
Whisk the sour and heavy creams together in a large bowl. Stir in the cooked mushroom mixture.
Toast the bread to your desired level of crispitude. Divide the sour cream mixture between the toasts and top with the oyster mushrooms and the reserved scallion greens. Finish with additional black pepper and serve.