Aishling Moore: The magic of Irish-grown mushrooms and the key to cooking them perfectly

All such worthy winners and fantastic producers that contribute so much to the diversity and supreme quality of Irish food. Joe and Dolores have been cultivating mushrooms for over 36 years on the banks of the River Barrow on the borders of Laois and Offaly. They presently grow a wide range of exotic organic mushrooms using wood-based substrates sourced from sustainably managed forests. Varieties such as shiitake, king oyster, yellow oyster, grey oyster, maitake, lion’s mane, nameko, and white beech are each harvested by hand.

These fungi are grown carefully under controlled conditions using advanced technology which is powered in part by solar energy. I love serving mushrooms with seafood. At Goldie, we often pickle Garryhinch shiitakes and roast some of their grey oyster variety. We tear the oyster mushrooms, lightly coat them in oil, and cook them very quickly in a 225°C oven.

For this weekend’s recipe, baked oysters with mushrooms and creamed leek, I have used a mix of shiitake, grey oyster, and yellow oyster mushrooms. Nowadays, most supermarkets stock a variety of mushrooms, so you can use whatever’s available; button and chestnut will work well too once they are cooked correctly. The key to excellent mushroom cookery is not to overcrowd the pan, which will create steam you want the mushrooms to caramelise, not boil! Use a wide-based pot or pan to brown the mushrooms, place them in a single layer, work in batches if needs be.

Always shuck oysters on a flat surface. The tea towel will help protect your less dominant hand as well as keeping the oyster in a stable position when the oyster is opened. The bed of salt will act as a stable base for the oysters to sit on while shucking and baking in the oven. Avoid excess force, this will shatter and chip the outside of the shell as well as potentially damage the meat inside and yourself!

Discard any oysters that are open or have cracked, compromised shells. They should smell fresh and of the seaside. The oyster shells will be very hot when removed from the oven, so allow the oysters to sit for a couple of minutes before serving.