Cook and Drink

Remember the Black Pearl, the ship captained by Jack Sparrow, portrayed by Jonny Depp? The ship had black sails and it was faster than the infamous Flying Dutchman. Films such as the Curse of the Black Pearl and At World’s End, characters such as Davy Jones and captain Barbossa, all good. We lost track when watching the third film and, in the end, we gave up on the series, despite the hilarious eccentricity of Jack Sparrow.

When shopping at our favourite mushroom stall, we noticed a cultivated mushroom, one we hadn’t seen before, called Black Pearl. 
The background of the Black Pearl mushroom (or Shimofuri) is as confusing as the story line of the Pirates-movies. According to some it’s a Japanese hybrid between King Trumpet and Black Oyster Mushrooms, others claim it’s a hybrid between a European and an Asian Oyster Mushroom and some say it’s a combination with Pearl Oyster mushrooms. Or perhaps a Marbled Oyster Mushroom? In all cases the Latin name seems to be Pleurotus Ostreatus, which is the name of the common oyster mushroom. 

Let’s forget about the background and enjoy its earthy, sweet, slightly peppery flavour and its firm texture. We combined the mushroom with an omelette, inspired by Tamagoyaki, the rolled Japanese omelette. We added Kashimiri pepper to the mushrooms, to emphasize their spiciness.

Drink Pairing

We enjoyed a glass of our favourite sake: Junmai Taru Sake as produced by Kiku-Masamune. The sake matured in barrels made of the finest Yoshino cedar, which is reflected in its aroma and flavour.
An aromatic, fresh and fruity white wine, with aromas of citrus and apple will also pair very well. The wine should be uplifting and juicy with a light character.

What You Need

• 100 grams Black Pearl
• 1 scallion, white only
• 1/3 Kashmiri Pepper
• 2 Eggs
• ½ teaspoon Dashi Powder
• teaspoon Mirin
• teaspoon Soy Sauce
• Olive Oil

What You Do

1. Serve the omelette with the mushrooms on a warm plate
2. Clean the mushrooms and cut in 2 or 4
3. Thinly slice the white of the scallion
4. Combine egg, dashi, mirin and soy sauce
5. Warm a small heavy iron skillet
6. Add some olive oil
7. Add the egg mixture to the pan and bake a bavuese omelette
8. In parallel: heat a small heavy iron skillet
9. Crush pepper
10. Add olive oil to the pan and fry the pepper, for a minute or so
11. Reduce heat
12. Add mushrooms to the pan
13. Just before serving add the scallion
14. Slice the omelette in two