Maroon Shrooms

Maroon Shrooms

We pay homage to the OG freedom fighters. The Africans who escaped Spanish and British bondage in Jamaica, fleeing to remote areas or the island where they formed their own communities and evaded recapture, were called Maroons, from the Spanish word "cimarrónes”.

The History

Maroons existed all over the Americas. Wherever there has been slavery, there have always been people finding ways to claim their freedom. The Maroon’s self-emancipation in Jamaica preceded the Haitian Revolution and state-approved emancipation in the United States. They gained legendary status for themselves. reliance, their ability to resist recapture, their success using guerrilla strategies to win multiple armed conflicts against colonial entities, and their ingenuity in not only surviving but also in building communities that thrived. Today, several Maroon villages—Charles Town, Accompong Town, Scotts Hall, and Moore Town—still exist.

The Spin

This dish is a plant-based hat tip to Jamaican jerk, using marinated then grilled mushrooms doused with a barbecue miso glaze. The work here is in the prep, but the cooking is a breeze. Use a grill, an acknowledgment to open-flame cooking that will set off your shrooms with a deep, smoky flavor. Pull up to the Asian market to get kombu (dried kelp), shiro shoyu (white soy sauce), and gochujang (a Korean chile paste).

MARINADE INGREDIENTS

2 sheets kombu (1⁄2 ounce/15 g)1⁄4 cup (60 ml) grapeseed oil
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon coconut nectar
1⁄2 Scotch bonnet pepper, seeded
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
2 dried chipotle peppers
4 garlic cloves
11⁄4 ounces (35 g) black garlic

2 teaspoons whole allspice berries
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1⁄2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
5 tablespoons (75 ml) shiro shoyu
2 Asian pears, peeled and cored
1 Gala apple, peeled and cored
1⁄3 cup (80 ml) filtered water, plus more as needed
1 pound (455 grams) oyster mushrooms or hen of the woods (maitake) mushrooms

BARBECUE MISO GLAZE INGREDIENTS

1 cup (240 ml) fresh orange juice
1 cup (240 ml) water
4 garlic cloves
6 black garlic cloves (about 30 g)
1⁄4 cup (100 g) honey
2 tablespoons gochujang
21⁄2 tablespoons red miso paste

TO SERVE AND IMPRESS YOUR GUESTS

2 heads Little Gem lettuce, gently torn
Aquafaba Aioli (page 290)
Assorted fresh herbs (like cilantro, mint,
or scallion greens), for garnish

LET'S MAKE THE MARINADE.

Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Place the kombu on a sheet pan and toast in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes, until the color becomes brown and the kombu looks visibly drier.

In a food processor or blender, combine the grapeseed oil, coconut nectar, roasted kombu, Scotch bonnet, paprika, chipotles, garlic, black garlic, allspice, peppercorns, ginger, shoyu, pears, and apple. Add the filtered water and blitz the ingredients, adding more water as needed, until the mixture has a smooth consistency.

Put the mushrooms in a bowl, liberally rub the marinade over them, and set aside to marinate for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours.

+ THE BARBECUE MISO GLAZE.

In a blender, combine the orange juice, water, garlic, and black garlic. Blend on high speed for 2 minutes. Pour the mixture into a large pot. Using a whisk, mix in the honey, gochujang, and miso.

Bring the sauce to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Allow the mixture to reduce by half, 20 to 30 minutes, until you have a beautiful glaze.

Heat a charcoal or gas grill to medium-high. Place the mushrooms on the grill (if using a charcoal grill, offset the mushrooms away from direct flame) and grill for up to 10 minutes, until they develop a thorough char. Liberally brush the mushrooms with the miso glaze as they're cooking. Don't be afraid of the blackened char; it adds great flavor.

Serve the shrooms with the lettuce, aioli, and fresh herbs. For an extra pop, you can fry up sweet plantain and add it to this dish.