Wood Fire-Grilled Oyster Mushrooms

A big flush of oyster mushrooms can be a good excuse to build a fire, or just fire up the gas grill. Since a grill has more surface area that most sauté pans, it's also an efficient way to cook a large amount of mushrooms without making a mess in the kitchen. Today I'll walk you through the basics of cooking oyster mushrooms on the grill, differences between seasonal varieties, and a few ideas for serving them.

All species of oyster mushroom can be grilled, but some of them can be prepared in very different ways depending on the type of oyster mushroom you have. Here's a few examples:

King oyster mushrooms can be grilled whole or sliced in half. While not wild, they're an affordable mushroom with a meaty texture that's great for vegetarian dishes.

When clean and firm, wild oyster mushrooms that grow in clusters like aspen oysters or golden oyster mushrooms can be cooked in large clusters like oyster mushroom steaks. Cultivated varieties like pink or blue oyster mushrooms can be cooked the same way.

Late fall oyster mushrooms can be large enough to cook whole like a piece of meat. While they're not technically an oyster mushroom, they're still good and perfect for slow-cooking over a fire since they need to be cooked longer.

How to Grill Oyster Mushrooms

While a gas grill or charcoal grill can work, there's no substitute for the flavor a wood fire imparts to food. Using a wood fire also allows you to flavor the food with different types of woods, as the finished product is essentially lightly smoked.

The first thing to do is clean the grill grates. Build a fire and get the grates hot, then scrub them with a grill brush. Next, wet a rag or a paper towel with cooking oil or animal fat and lightly grease the grill grate. This prevents sticking and encourages browning.

After you build a fire you wait for the flames to die down a bit and make some coals. For the best result, you'll want to push the coals to one side of the grill, which will give you a hot, semi-hot, and cooler zone for cooking.

The oyster mushrooms are left as whole as possible, with the exception of grilled king oyster mushrooms which I usually cut in half lengthwise. I season the mushrooms with oil, salt, and chopped fresh thyme if I have some, then cook them slowly over coals until the water has evaporated, concentrating the flavor of the mushrooms.

One of them most important things about grilling food is to cook over hot coals, not directly over flames which makes food taste like kerosine. Grilling over fire is an interactive experience and you should move the coals/logs around the grill as needed to cook the mushrooms slowly over indirect heat.

Cooked slowly over coals, larger mushroom clusters can take 20-30 minutes to cook. When the mushrooms are browned and their water's cooked off (a little char can be nice) they become concentrated umami bombs kissed with woodsmoke.

How to Serve Grilled Oyster Mushrooms

Grilled mushrooms can be served as a side dish as-is, or added to salads and side dishes hot or cold. The gentle smoke flavor can be used to add depth to a tomato sauce, mushroom chili, pastas and ragus, soups, mushroom tacos, and plenty of other things. I've also pickled them after grilling large amounts, which has a great flavor.

Finely chopped they can lend a smoky touch to stuffed pasta filling or mushroom duxelles. And, of course, thick slices are perfect mushroom side dish for steak and other grilled meats.

I have a few examples of how I might serve them below to give you some ideas. marinated with herbs, a side dish with a dollop of tangy aioli, and served with a bright, herby chimichurri sauce.

One common factor here is a squeeze of lemon or a touch of acid to lift the flavor from the grill, or serving them with a tart, herby sauce. Besides chimichurri, my Italian salmoriglio sauce is a fun one to try too.

One good trick you'll see in the examples below shown in the video is that the mushrooms are seasoned before and after they're grilled. Adjusting the seasoning after cooking is the key to ensuring they're not bland.

Grilled Oyster Mushrooms with Aioli

Citrus and acid help cut through the rich flavor of the mushrooms. For a simple mushroom appetizer like you'd get at a restaurant, spread some lemony, garlicky aioli on the bottom of a bowl. Season the still-warm mushrooms with chopped parsley or other herbs and mound them in the bowl.

Grilled, Marinated Oyster Mushrooms with Herbs

For a mushroom side dish that'll knock people's socks off, mix a little extra virgin olive oil, grated or minced garlic, a pinch of crushed red pepper, fresh herbs and a touch of lemon zest and juice.

Toss the mushrooms with the dressing after cooking and season them, then they can be stored for days before serving. Brown them gently to crisp them before serving, and watch them disappear faster than you can say Pleurotus ostreatus.

Grilled King Oyster Mushrooms with Steak and Chimichurri

One of the simplest ways to serve grilled foods is with a tart, tangy herb sauce. Katriel Menendez, my former sous chef from Argentina made a great chimichurri I've adapted in the recipe notes.

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