Asian Citrus-Marinated Mushrooms
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
- Rounded 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon grated orange rind
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
- 1/2 teaspoon grated lime rind
- 1 pound whole mushrooms, stem cut off and left whole (halve any huge ones) * (see note below)
- Garnish: 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
Combine first 7 ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil; cook 30-60 seconds or until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat; stir in orange rind, oils, and lime rind. Combine vinegar mixture and mushrooms in a large bowl; toss well to combine. Pour mushrooms and liquid into zipper top bag, remove air from bag and seal. Place bag in bowl in refrigerator (in case of leaks), and refrigerate overnight, turning bag whenever you think of it or are mucking around in the refrigerator.
To serve, pour mushrooms and liquid into a wide, flat bowl and sprinkle fresh parsley on top. Place a little container of toothpicks alongside, along with a container for the used picks if you wish.
Serves 6.
Mushroom note
Leave mushrooms whole because they will shrink due to losing some of their water during the marination. If any look impossibly huge, then halve them. To clean mushrooms, brush them off with a soft brush or a towel. Don’t wash them with water or soak them, because they get mushy and disgusting.
Source: Slightly adapted from Cooking Light magazine, Jan. 2006