Wild Porcini Mushroom Sea Salt

Porcini Mushroom and Onion Dip with Dave’s House Salt

Recipe by Damon Lee Fowler, featuring

Salt Table’s Dave’s House Salt

Because one of the ingredients in Dave’s House Salt is porcini mushrooms, you can omit the dried porcini mushrooms, but they’re the secret to a really rich mushroom flavor. Other great seasonings that pair well with this recipe are The Salt Table’s Porcini Mushroom Salt and Black Truffle Salt.

To make this into a sturdy spread, omit the mayonnaise, cut the sour cream to ½ cup, and add a softened 8-ounce package of cream cheese.

Makes about 3 cups

Ingredients:

• ½ ounce dried porcini mushrooms
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 pound small crimini (brown or baby bella) mushrooms
• 2 large yellow onions, peeled and diced
• 4 teaspoons unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoons olive oil
• 2 cups sour cream
• ½ cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons minced flat leaf parsley, plus more for garnish
• Salt Table’s Dave’s House Salt
• Crackers, melba toast rounds, pita chips, or scoop type corn chips, for serving

How to make it:

1. Put the dried mushrooms in a heatproof bowl, pour the boiling water over them, and let them soak until softened, about 15-30 minutes. Lift the reconstituted mushrooms from their soaking liquid, squeezing them dry over the bowl, and set them aside. Strain their soaking liquid through paper towel or coffee filter and set it aside as well. Clean the fresh mushrooms with a dry cloth or paper towels, trim, and thickly slice or quarter them.
2. Put the onion, half the butter, and half the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pan over medium low heat. Cover tightly and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions have sweated out their liquid and are softened, about10-15 minutes. Remove the lid, raise the heat, and cook, stirring often, until the liquid is completely evaporated. Stirring almost constantly, cook until onions are golden brown. Remove them from the pan and let them cool.
3. Add the remaining butter and oil to the pan, let it get hot, and add the fresh mushrooms. Sauté until beginning to color and add the reconstituted mushrooms and their soaking liquid. Bring to a boil, and cook until the liquid is evaporated. Let it cool, then transfer to a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse until they’re chopped fine but not pureed.
4. Blend together the sour cream and mayonnaise until smooth. Fold in the mushrooms, onions, and parsley. Season to taste with Dave’s House Salt. Cover, and chill for at least 2-3 hours. Taste and adjust the seasonings and transfer the dip to a serving bowl. Sprinkle it with parsley and serve with crackers, melba toast rounds, or pita chips.

Suggested Seasonings

Dave’s House Salt

Wild Porcini Mushroom Sea Salt

Black Truffle Sea Salt

Mushroom Bruschetta with Dave’s House Salt

Recipe by Damon Lee Fowler, featuring Dave’s House Salt Blend

Salt Table’s Dave’s House Salt, with its porcini mushroom, really boosts the flavor of cultivated mushrooms and is the perfect simple seasoning for this simple bruschetta topping. Another great combination would be either the Salt Table’s Wild Porcini or Black Truffle Salts paired with Old Man River Blend.

Serves 4 to 8

Ingredients

• ¾ pound brown (crimini) mushrooms
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• About 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large clove garlic, peeled but left whole
• Salt Table Dave’s House Salt
• 16 ½-inch thick slices baguette
• ½ lemon
• 1 tablespoon finely minced fresh parsley

How to make it:

1. Wipe the mushrooms clean with a dry paper towel and thinly slice them. Melt the butter in 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and sauté until they’re beginning to color. Season well with Dave’s House Salt and toss well. If they’ve thrown off any liquid, continue cooking, stirring, until it’s evaporated. Turn off the heat. The mushrooms can be prepared several hours ahead. Let cool and cover until needed.
2. Heat an iron griddle or large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. When it’s hot, adjust the heat to medium-low, brush one side of the bread with olive oil and put it in the pan, oiled side down. Toast until the bottoms are golden brown, about 2-3 minutes, brush the tops with oil, and turn them over. While the upper sides are still quite hot, rub lightly with the garlic clove. Meanwhile, reheat the mushrooms over medium low heat. Add a squeeze or so of lemon juice, to taste, stir, and turn off the heat. When the crostini are ready, top them with the mushrooms. Garnish with parsley and serve warm.

Suggested Seasonings

Dave’s House Salt

Black Truffle Sea Salt

Wild Porcini Mushroom Sea Salt

Meatballs Bourguignon with Dave’s House Salt

Recipe by Damon Lee Fowler, featuring

Salt Table’s Dave’s House Salt

Meatballs are a great hot appetizer, and can be varied by simmering them in just about any sauce. Here the sauce is based on the French classic beef stew a la bourguignon, but you can change it up by substituting barbecue, marinara, a Southeast-Asian-style spicy-sweet sauce, or even your favorite Stroganoff.

Dave’s House Salt, with its onion, garlic, porcini mushrooms, and spicy jalapeno, is a great blend for this, but you might also try a combination of Salt Table’s Porcini or Black Truffle Salt and Old Man River Blend, both in the meatballs and the sauce.

Makes about 48-50 small cocktail meatballs, serving 8-12

Ingredients:

For the meatballs:

• 2 slices firm, home-style bread
• Whole milk
• 1½ pounds ground beef chuck
• Salt Table Dave’s House Salt
• Olive or vegetable oil
• For the sauce:
• 2 slices extra-thick-cut bacon (about 2 ounces), diced
• 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and chopped fine
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped fine
• 2 ounces (about 1 cup) finely chopped brown (crimini or baby bella) mushrooms
• ¼ cup flour
• 3 cups French Burgundy or Pinot Noir
• 2 cups beef broth
• 1 rounded tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon dried or 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt Table’s Dave’s House Salt

How to make it:

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat it to 400° F. Put the bread in a mixing bowl and drizzle enough milk over it to saturate it. Let it soak for a minute, then squeeze it dry, discarding the milk. Crumble the bread back into the bowl. Crumble in the beef, season well with House Salt, and mix well.
2. Rub a large rimmed sheet pan with oil. Moisten your hands with water and form the meat into 1-inch balls, laying them on the prepared pan as you go with about ½-inch between them. When all the meatballs have been shaped and placed on the pan, put them in the center of the oven and bake until they’re nicely browned, about 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, make the sauce: put the bacon in a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until it’s browned and it’s fat is rendered. Add the onion and sauté until softened but not coloring, about 2 minutes. Then add the carrot and sauté 2 minutes more. Add the chopped mushrooms and sauté until they’re beginning to color, about 4 minutes.
4. Sprinkle the flour into the pan and stir until smooth. Slowly stir in the wine and bring it to a boil, stirring constantly. Then add the broth, bring it to a simmer and cook, stirring, until thickened. Stir in the tomato paste, thyme, and bay leaf, and season to taste with Dave’s House Salt. Bring it back to a simmer, and simmer about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Add the meatballs to the sauce, bring it back to a boil, and adjust the heat to the slowest possible simmer. Simmer until the sauce is thickened and the meatballs are deeply infused with its flavor, about 1 hour. Remove and discard the bay leaf. They can be made ahead: cool, cover, and refrigerate them for up to 4 days. Reheat them gently over medium low heat. Serve from a chafing dish or slow-cooker set to “keep warm.”

Suggested Seasonings

Dave’s House Salt

Black Truffle Sea Salt

Old Man River Grinder Blend

Wild Porcini Mushroom Sea Salt

Penne for Two with Mushrooms and The Salt Table Black Truffle Salt or Wild Porcini Mushroom Salt

Recipe by Damon Lee Fowler, featuring

Salt Table Black Truffle Salt or Wild Porcini Mushroom Salt.

Cultivated mushrooms don’t have the intense flavor that they’re wild cousins like Italian porcini or truffles, but the latter aren’t readily available to most of us and can be very expensive when they can be had. Here, Salt Table’s Black Truffle Salt bumps up the flavor of cultivated brown mushrooms without putting a strain on your grocery budget. Another good seasoning for this is Salt Table’s Wild Porcini Mushroom Salt.

This is for a cozy dinner for two, but it doubles well; increase the olive oil to only 3 tablespoons.

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces brown (crimini or baby bella) mushrooms
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium shallot, peeled and minced
• 3-4 small to medium fresh sage leaves, thinly sliced
• Salt Table Black Truffle Salt or Wild Porchini Mushroom
• Whole black pepper in a mill
• Salt Table Sea Salt
• 6 ounces penne pasta
• 4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus a little more for serving
• 8-12 very small sage leaves, for garnish, optional

How to make it:

1. Wipe the mushrooms clean with a dry cloth or paper towel. Cut small ones into quarters, larger ones into chunks the same size as the quarters. Put at least 3 quarts of water on to boil over medium high heat.
2. Put the oil and shallot in a 10-12-inch heavy-bottomed frying pan over medium heat. Sauté until the shallot is a pale gold, about 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and quickly toss to coat them with the oil. Sauté, tossing almost constantly, until mushrooms are beginning to color. Add the sage and season to taste with Salt Table Black Truffle salt or Wild Porchini Mushroom Salt and pepper. Turn off the heat.
3. When the pot of water is boiling, stir in a small handful of sea salt and the pasta. Boil it, stirring occasionally, until it’s al dente (firm to the bite but not pasty at the center). When the pasta is almost done, gently reheat the mushrooms over medium low heat, and when the pasta is ready, quickly drain and put it in the pan with the mushrooms. Turn off the heat under the pan, toss well, add the cheese, and toss again. Garnish with whole small sage leaves, if using, and serve at once, passing more cheese separately.

Suggested Seasonings

Black Truffle Sea Salt

Wild Porcini Mushroom Sea Salt

Slow-Cooker Pork Stew Provencal with Mushrooms

Recipe by Damon Lee Fowler, featuring

with Salt Table’s Wild Porcini Mushroom Salt, Peppercorn Medley and Herbes de Provence

The Salt Table’s Wild Porcini Mushroom Salt infuses this stew with deep mushroom flavor without the trouble of reconstituting dried porcini mushrooms and straining their soaking liquid to remove the sand. The Salt Table’s Herbes de Provence provides nicely balanced Provencal flavor without having a host of different condiments and herbs.

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS:

• 3½ pounds boneless pork shoulder (Boston butt), trimmed well and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Salt Table Wild Porcini Mushroom Salt
• Salt Table Peppercorn Medley in a mill
• 1 tablespoon Salt Table Herbes de Provence
• 1 large yellow onion, trimmed, split lengthwise, peeled, and diced small
• 1 large or 2 medium cloves garlic, lightly crushed, peeled, and minced
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup dry white wine
• About 1-to-1½ cups beef broth
• 1 recipe Sautéed Mushrooms with Porcini Salt (recipe follows)
• 2 tablespoons finely minced flat-leaf parsley

HOW TO MAKE:

1. Wrap the pork in several layers of paper towels and pat dry. Put the oil and butter in a large, deep skillet over medium high heat. Add enough pork to the pan to fill it without crowding and brown it well on all sides. Remove it to the slow cooker, and repeat with the remaining meat. When all the meat is browned, season it well with Porcini Salt and Pepper Medley and sprinkle the Herbes de Provence evenly over it.
2. Adjust the heat to medium, spoon off all but 2-3 tablespoons of the fat from the pan and add the onion. Sauté until softened and golden brown at the edges, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and toss until fragrant, about half a minute longer. Sprinkle in the flour and stir until smooth and bubbly. Slowly add the wine, stirring constantly, and bring it to a simmer, then stir in 1 cup of the broth. Bring it back to a simmer, stirring constantly, and cook until it’s lightly thickened, then pour it evenly over the pork in the slow cooker.
3. Add enough broth to barely cover the meat, cover the cooker, and turn the setting to high. Let it heat until it’s bubbly, about 30 minutes, then reduce the setting to low and cook until the pork is fork tender, about 4-6 hours.
4. The stew can be prepared to this point up to four days ahead. Let it cool completely, transfer it to a storage container, cover tightly, and refrigerate. Reheat it gently in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-low heat, thinning the sauce, if it’s too thick, with a few spoonfuls of water.
5. Prepare the Sautéed Mushrooms, immediately fold them into the stew, and serve hot, garnished with parsley and accompanied by crusty bread.

Sautéed Mushrooms

Serves 4 as a side dish

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pound small brown (crimini) mushrooms
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• Salt Table Wild Porcini Mushroom Salt
• 1 tablespoon finely minced flat leaf parsley, optional (for garnishing if used as a side dish)

HOW TO MAKE:

1. Wipe the mushrooms clean with a dry paper towel and thickly slice them. Put the oil and butter in a deep skillet or sauté pan and turn on the heat to medium. When the butter is melted and the fat is quite hot, add the mushrooms, rapidly tossing. Raise the heat to medium high.
2. Sauté, tossing often, until the mushrooms are beginning to color on the edges. Season well with Porcini Salt, toss, and cook half a minute longer. Turn off the heat. Taste and correct the salt. If serving as a separate side dish, sprinkle with parsley and serve hot. If using in Pork Provencal, immediately add it to the stew.

Suggested Seasonings

Wild Porcini Mushroom Sea Salt

Peppercorn Medley

Herbs de Provence – No Salt