Brussels Sprout Salad with Soy-Caramelized Shiitakes

Anahad is a regular at a restaurant here in New York City where they serve a very simple shaved Brussels sprout salad with shaved pecorino. This is my riff on that salad. I especially enjoy the contrast between the crunchy sliced sprouts and the soft, sweet shiitake mushrooms. After I cook the mushrooms, I don’t let them cool completely, so the salad is just a touch warm when served.
Serves4 to 6
Cooking Methodsauteeing
CostInexpensive
Total Timeunder 1 hour
Make Ahead RecipeYes
OccasionCasual Dinner Party, Formal Dinner Party
Recipe Coursemain course
Dietary Considerationegg-free, gluten-free, halal, kosher, peanut free, tree nut free, vegetarian
Mealdinner
Taste and Texturecrisp, savory, umami
Type of Dishmain course salad, salad
Ingredients
- 6 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and caps sliced about ½ inch thick
- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1½ tablespoons dark brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
- 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (from about 1½ lemons)
- Leaves from 4 fresh thyme sprigs
- 3 garlic cloves, smashed
- 1½ pounds Brussels sprouts, ends trimmed, halved lengthwise, and thinly sliced lengthwise
- About 2 ounces pecorino cheese, shaved
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
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In a resealable plastic bag, combine the shiitakes, soy, vinegar, oil, brown sugar, hot red pepper flakes, and garlic. Seal the bag and marinate for at least 30 minutes at room temperature and up to overnight in the refrigerator.
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Transfer the mushrooms and marinade to a small skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the mushrooms, mixing often, until the liquid from the marinade and the mushrooms evaporates and the mushrooms darken in color, about 7 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
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In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients. Add the thinly sliced Brussels sprouts, followed by the cooked mushrooms, and toss well. Season with salt and pepper to taste (you shouldn’t need much salt due to the soy sauce in the mushrooms). Arrange the salad on plates and garnish each serving with a couple good pinches of pecorino and more black pepper.
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2010 Dave Lieberman and Anahad O?Connor