Mushroom Skewers with Tamari & Pomegranate (VG) from Centrepiece

By Erin Brown
Related Categories: Cookbook Confidential

“I was surprised to see fresh shiitake in my local small supermarket; they are a lot more robust than chestnut mushrooms, making them perfect to marinate and grill. Because they are deeply savoury, I wanted to add something to the marinade to cut through this, and pomegranate molasses makes such a good contrast. You will need eight 18cm (7-inch) wooden skewers.” Helen Graham, author of Centrepiece

Makes 8

300g (10½oz) shiitake mushrooms

300g (10½oz) oyster mushrooms

Sea salt flakes, to serve

For the tamari & pomegranate marinade

50ml (2fl oz) soy sauce, or tamari

60g (2¼oz) agave syrup, or maple syrup

45g (1¾oz) pomegranate molasses

100ml (3½fl oz) neutral-flavoured oil

2 garlic cloves, finely grated

1 tablespoon coriander seeds

1 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika

Place your skewers in water to soak for at least 20 minutes before using.

Combine all the ingredients for the marinade in a medium-sized mixing bowl and whisk together.

Take the large shiitake and halve them vertically through the stalk. The smaller shiitake can be left whole. With the oyster mushrooms, if they are in a clump, separate them into individual mushrooms. Large oyster mushrooms can be torn in half. Toss all the mushrooms into the marinade and coat thoroughly in the mix; you may want to go in with your hands (delicately) to ensure an even distribution. Leave to marinate for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat your grill to its hottest setting. Set a sieve over a saucepan and strain the mushrooms, reserving the marinade. To skewer the mushrooms, take a shiitake and skewer it through the middle, then an oyster mushroom. If the oyster mushroom is particularly long, you can fold it over itself and skewer it twice. Continue, leaving a 2.5cm (1-inch) length of skewer empty at either end, then transfer to a baking tray lined with foil. Repeat with the remaining 7 skewers.

Place the skewers under the grill for 10 minutes until they are nicely coloured, then remove them and flip them over using tongs. Return these to the grill for a further 8–10 minutes until they have reached the same colour on the other side.

Meanwhile, set the saucepan with the marinade over a medium heat and reduce for 5–6 minutes until thickened, then transfer to a bowl to cool. If the sauce is a little too thick, or looks like it has split, you can loosen it by whisking in a little water. Transfer the skewers to your serving platter and drizzle over the reduced sauce. Finish with a pinch of sea salt flakes and serve.