670grams(1.5 lbs) mushrooms cleaned, trimmed, and cut into large pieces
10grams(1.5 teaspoons) fine sea salt, or ground kosher salt (see note)
2teaspoonspaprika
1teaspoonground cumin
5clovesof garliccrushed with the back of a knife
1Tablespoonchopped thyme
1large sprig of rosemarywhacked with the back of a knife to release their aroma
2dried bay leaves
1tablespoontoasted black peppercorns
1000grams (4 cups) melted lard or olive oil preferably from pork or poultry, although beef or lamb will work too
Instructions
Cut the mushrooms into large pieces or halve them if small. In a large bowl, toss the mushrooms with the salt and all the ingredients except the lard and allow to rest in the fridge for 12-24 hours.
Preheat the oven to 250. Remove the mushrooms and aromatics from the bowl, but leave any liquid behind, Squeeze the lobster mushrooms to remove juice.
Add the mushrooms and aromatics to an oven-safe container. Leave 4 inches of headspace to avoid spills. Pour the melted fat over the mushrooms to cover them completely.
Bake for 1.5 hours, then remove from the heat and transfer the mushrooms while piping hot to a mason jar, completely covering them with fat. Date and label the confit.
The confit will keep for a month completely under lard, but can be used after a week or directly from the oven.
Notes
SaltFor restaurant batches, say 5lbs + it’s fine to use 1% salt by weight. For smaller batches, I add a little more salt.YieldThis will make enough to fill two pint jars, with some excess fat and a few mushrooms leftover.