Recipe: Oriental Mushroom Salsa (Norman Van Aken)

ORIENTAL MUSHROOM SALSA

"The Asian peoples' long-standing love of mushrooms is well known. They pay enormous sums of money for the mushrooms known as matsutakes. Here, I'm using the now commonplace shiitakes. They cost much less too. The complex flavors of this salsa make it ideal for simple grilled fish or meats."

1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons dark roasted sesame oil
1/2 Scotch bonnet chile, seeded and minced
2 shallots, sliced
8 shiitake mushroom caps, sliced 1/8-inch thick
1 small tomato, concasse (peeled, seeded and chopped)
2 scallions, trimmed and sliced on a bias
2 tablespoons minced cilantro leaves
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon minced ginger
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon Oriental hot chile sauce (preferably Sriracha)
1/2 teaspoon mushroom soy sauce
Salt and black pepper to taste

Heat the butter and sesame oil in a large skillet. When the butter begins to foam, add the Scotch bonnet and shallots, and saute over medium-high heat for 30 seconds, stirring.

Add the sliced shiitakes, stir well, and saute for 1 minute. Transfer the mixture to a bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and combine thoroughly. Reserve until needed.

This salsa can be prepared a few hours in advance and warmed. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Makes about 1 1/2 cups
Source: Norman's New World Cuisine by Norman Van Aken