A bevy of flavors and textures that work with meaty savory mushrooms and tender herbaceous roasted cabbage.

Red Braised Mushrooms with Roasted Cabbage

Serves 4

With about 90 minutes and 3 pans you can have a hearty different take on a holiday meal while also being unexpectedly meat free.

This dish originated with wanting to create a holiday meal based on familiar flavors but that looked a little different. What resulted was a bevy of flavors and textures that just work. Savory and fragrant red braised mushrooms are the chewy heft of the meal while the cabbage provides an herbaceous roasted heartiness. The lentils act as a “sauce” to bring everything together with their earthiness while the rice adds a warm garlicky undertone to everything. What makes it even better is that each bite offers different combinations of flavor and texture that make eating a plate fun.

The recipe makes more garlic oil and toasted garlic than you need. Refrigerate any leftover garlic oil and fried garlic and use for other dishes. I find that a little garlic oil on a boiled egg (cooked to whatever doneness you prefer) is absolutely heavenly.

Ingredients

Garlic Oil

2 T vegetable oil

10 garlic cloves, minced 

Lentils

220g (1 c) red lentils, rinsed

20g (1 T) gochujang

1 T soy sauce

1 T maesil

2 t mushroom bullion

2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

600ml (3 c) water 

Red Braised Mushrooms

*530g (8) large king oyster mushrooms, cut in half lengthwise and scored

1- 2in piece of cinnamon

1 star anise

1 bay leaf

1 dried orange peel

0.50 t whole fennel seeds

2 t sugar

67ml (5.5 T) soy sauce

300ml (1.5 c) water 

Roasted Cabbage

200g (1 medium) onion, sliced with the grain

4 garlic cloves, sliced

50ml (0.25 c) water

2 T soju or white wine

0.75 t dried thyme

0.50 t dried rosemary

0.50 t mushroom bullion

1,600g (½ large) green cabbage, core removed and cut into 4 wedges

Kosher salt

Ground black pepper

Ground cumin

Gochugaru

Olive oil 

**Garlic Rice

650g (3 c) glutinious white rice, rinsed

1 t kosher salt

Half reserved garlic

715ml (3.5c + 1 T) water

Recipe Know-how

1.      In a large nonstick pan, place the garlic oil ingredients.

• Place the pan on a medium-low heat.

• Cook for 5 – 8 minutes stirring occasionally until the garlic is golden brown.

While the garlic cooks move on to Step 2.

• Remove the garlic to a paper towel lined plate and reserve,

• Drain the oil and reserve.

Do not wash the pan.

2.      In a medium pot place the lentil ingredients.

• Bring to a boil covered.

• Reduce to a simmer and cook stirring occasionally for 40 - 60 minutes.

Finish Step 1 then continue to Step 3.

3.      Return the nonstick pan to medium-high heat.

• Add the mushroom halves in a single layer.

If necessary, cook in 2 batches.

• Cook for 3 – 4 minutes or until golden brown on the first side.

The mushrooms will contract while they cook. Carefully (steam will rise from the pan as you press down which can cause injury) press down on the stem portion for a few seconds to ensure contact with the pan.

• Flip and cook for 1 minute longer.

• Remove from the pan and repeat with the second batch if necessary.

• Reduce heat to medium.

• Pour 0.50 t of the reserved garlic oil on one side of the pan.

• Add the cinnamon, star anise, bay, orange peel and fennel seeds. Using a heat-proof spatula coat the spices in the oil and cook.

• On the other side of the pan place 0.75 t of the reserved garlic oil.

• Add the sugar and cook stirring frequently until a dark caramel forms.

• Carefully deglaze the pan with the soy sauce. Cook stirring constantly for 60 – 90 seconds or until the soy reduces some and the caramel melts completely.

• Add the water and mushrooms.

• Bring to a boil covered. Reduce to a simmer and cook 40 minutes turning occasionally.

Continue on to Step 4 while the mushrooms simmer.

4.      Preheat oven to 200 C / 400 F.

• Cover a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.

• Scatter the onion on the pan in 4 sections.

• Evenly divide the garlic, dried herbs and bullion over each section.

These veg will become part of the final dish and are not just for seasoning.

• Pour the liquids onto the pan.

• Season both sides of the cabbage with salt, pepper, cumin and gochugaru to taste.

• Place onto the onion bundles and drizzle each cabbage wedge with olive oil.

• Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.

Continue on to Step 5 while the cabbage roasts

• Carefully remove the foil and continue to roast uncovered for 20 minutes or until golden brown and the liquid has all evaporated.

Be careful removing the foil as there will  be a lot of steam that has been trapped with the cabbage.

5.      Into the bowl of a rice cooker, add the rice ingredients.

• Cook according to package directions.

• Using the side of a rice spatula fluff the rice when it is finished.

6.      Finish the lentils by checking their consistency., it should be thick but pourable.

• If the lentils are too thick add a little water and cook to the proper consistency. If the lentils are too runny, continue to cook until the proper consistency.

• Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.

• Check the mushrooms, they should be almost ready.

• Uncover and reduce the liquid by half to make a syrupy glaze. Keep warm.

• Check the cabbage, it should be nicely browned, the liquid should have all evaporated and when tested with a knife it should pierce the wedge in the thickest part easily.

7.      Place a few dollops of the lentils on the plate and spread like a “sauce”.

• Place a cabbage wedge and the onions and garlic they cooked with on the “sauce” and arrange the mushrooms and rice on the plate.

• Dress the mushrooms with the braising liquid.

8.      Serve.