Sauteed Spring Mushrooms, Chiles + Cilantro in Caramelized Coconut Broth
Caroline Wright
- Serves
- 4
There are a few flavor combinations that render me helpless and insatiable, and the combination of the rich sweetness of coconut milk, salty brine of fish sauce, and pucker of lime juice is arguably foremost among them. Mushrooms and a quick caramelization of the coconut milk lends depth to the broth, while spicy chiles add a slow, satisfying burn to each bite. (I happened to shop at a market where I could pick up small handfuls of a variety of mushrooms, keeping the price tag well within budget, but any one of your favorite mushrooms would work just fine here, too.) The resulting dish is very quick to make and even better than your favorite Thai takeout.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 pound mixed mushrooms, such as maitake, white beech, shiitake and white button
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 (13.5-ounce) cans coconut milk
- 1 (1-inch) piece ginger, peeled and sliced
- 1 (1-inch) piece lemongrass, halved lengthwise, hard outer skin removed and smashed with a heavy skillet
- 1 hot chile, halved (seeds removed, if desired)
- 1 cup halved cherry or grape tomatoes
- 2 cup chicken stock or broth
- 2 tablespoon fish sauce, to taste
- 3 tablespoon fresh lime juice, to taste
- 8 ounce ounces rice noodles, soaked in hot water according to package directions
- 1/4 cup cilantro leaves
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Directions
- Step 1
Heat oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high. Add mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 5 minutes; remove to a plate. Raise heat to high. Add coconut milk, ginger, lemongrass, chiles and tomatoes to pan and cook, stirring, until coconut milk becomes very thick and begins to stick to the bottom of the pan, about 4 minutes. (Meanwhile, soak rice noodles according to package directions.) Stir in stock and cook 2 minutes or until warmed through. Stir in fish sauce and lime juice, then reserved mushrooms and their juices. Serve mushrooms in coconut broth over rice noodles.