A few years ago, when I was visiting Bologna with my friend Palma, we went to dinner one evening and the restaurant was featuring a mushroom salad. It was made with celery, shaved cheese, and dressed with truffle oil.
When the theme for this month's Cooking Light Virtual Supper club was announced I wondered what I could possible do for 'mushrooms'. I went back and forth . . . wracked with indecision, until I found this recipe: Mushroom Salad with Truffle Oil and Parmigiano-Reggiano. I immediately thought of that amazing salad back in Bologna and the rest, as they say, is history.
There sin't anything complex or confusing about this dish - simple ingredients, prepared without a tone of fanfare, working together to produce amazing results. The success of this dish depends on slicing or shaving the mushrooms, celery, and cheese as thinly as possible so that each bite will provide some flavor from all the ingredients. You'll note that the chef in Bologna did a far better job of slicing those mushrooms than I! Nonetheless, the taste was brilliant.
Mushroom Salad with Truffle Oil and Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 teaspoon truffle oil or extravirgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
5 cups thinly sliced large button mushrooms (about 3/4 pound)
1 1/4 cups thinly sliced celery (about 4 stalks)
1 ounce fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, shaved
Combine oil, lemon rind, lemon juice, salt, and freshly ground pepper in a small bowl.
Combine mushrooms and celery in a large bowl. Drizzle with oil mixture; toss gently to coat.
Arrange 1 cup mushroom mixture on each of 6 plates; top each serving with about 2 teaspoons shaved cheese.
I love it when food memories come alive in the kitchen. Thanks for bringing it along Jerry.
Posted by: bellini | October 03, 2012 at 07:59 AM
No doubt the secret in Bologna is the freshest porcini... topped with the best olive oil and fresh truffles. Bliss~
This looks like a great Cooking Light substitution!
Posted by: sandi @the whistlestop cafe | October 03, 2012 at 05:28 PM
Sometimes the things that look the simplest are the best, aren't they, just bring out all their flavors and be done with it! Looks very lovely as well.
Posted by: Kayte | October 06, 2012 at 07:50 AM
That is exactly how I felt belini - recreating hapy food memories!
Yes, some fresh porcini would have been perfect Sandi! I wonder if I can find any when I am in Rome in December?
Yes Kayte, you'd think I would know now the importance of a few simple ingredients and letting their simplicity shine through. Apparently it is a lesson that I must learn over and over again!
Posted by: JDeQ | October 08, 2012 at 07:40 AM