There’s nothing better than waking up to the inviting smell of mushroom toasts wafting out of the kitchen in the tranquil morning hours.

Just picturing a simple and buttery mushroom toast in our heads can instantly induce our mouths to water. Perfect for breakfast, lunch, snack, or dinner, it is a fail-safe, versatile dish that’s extremely easy to make – a real bonus to those who are constantly sharpening their culinary prowess at home or those who just can’t be bothered to cook a full meal. Mushroom toasts, beloved by the British and other Anglophone cooks, is a hearty savoury dish that you’ll find yourself making again and again.

There are so many ways one can make a mushroom toast but the recipe we are sharing with you is created by none other than Vancouver-based acclaimed chef, Felix Zhou.

Chef Felix has been a long-time avid proponent of Vancouver’s local small businesses, especially local farmers, producers, and foragers. His Every Day Mushroom Toast recipe (see below) features specialty organic mushrooms from Oyster and King. A collective of local farmers, Oyster and King has been bringing fresh produce from fresh cultivated mushrooms to natural cheeses as well as kitchen essentials to their local community. Some of their partner vendors include Cedar Isle Farm, Coligny Creek Egg Co, and The Farm House Cheeses. With the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, they are currently providing pick-up and delivery services to the Greater Vancouver area. For more information, you can visit their “How to Order” page here.

CHEF FELIX’S EVERYDAY MUSHROOM TOAST RECIPE

This recipe from Chef Felix calls for a variety of mushrooms which will result in greater texture and flavour.

Note: This recipe serves 2 people.

Ingredients

• 500g mushrooms mix (shiitake, shimeji and oyster Mushrooms)

• 2 garlic cloves (chopped)

• 1 shallot (finely chopped)

• 2 sprigs of thyme

• 50ml olive oil

• 50g salted butter

• 70ml Madeira wine (you can substitute with any other cooking wines; Madeira just happens to be Chef Felix’s favourite!)

• 1/2 lemon zest

• Salt and pepper

• Chopped parsley (for serving)

• 2 slices of sourdough bread or your bread of choice

• Avocado (optional)

• Poached egg (optional)

• Cheese (optional)

• Steak (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat a large frying pan over high heat then add the olive oil. 

2. Stir fry the mushrooms in batches along with the salted butter until they are golden brown.

3. Add the garlic, shallot, and thyme. Allow them to cook for 2-4 minutes.

4. Add the Madeira wine (or cooking wine of your choice) to deglaze the pan. Stir well to remove any caramelization at the bottom of the pan.

5. Add a bit more butter if needed to create a more creamy sauce then turn off the heat. Fold in the lemon zest and parsley. Season with salt and pepper.

6. Toast the sourdough bread (or your bread of choice) and serve the cooked mushrooms on top. You could also choose to add any one of the optional ingredients aforementioned in the recipe to the toast depending on the time of day.

The great thing about mushroom toasts is that once you’ve mastered them, you can start making them as a loving gesture for your loved ones. You could play around with Chef Felix’s recipe to turn it into your own or make it vegetarian/vegan-friendly. Thanks to this beautiful Everyday Mushroom Toast recipe from Chef Felix, we simply cannot contain our excitement to give it a go at home!

You can follow Chef Felix on Instagram to see what else he’s been cooking at home. And the next time you are doing your grocery shopping, perhaps consider supporting local farmers like Oyster and King. They would really appreciate your support as they navigate through these challenging times.

ABOUT OUR LOCAL CHEFS AND PRODUCERS SERIES

We have spent a lot of time thinking about how we can help our local community. We wondered if the farmers and suppliers local chefs work with may be facing difficulties during this time, as the restaurants they supply have either shuttered their doors due to covid-19 or have resorted to a limited workforce handling takeout orders. Thus, the Local Chefs and Producers Series of home cooking recipes was born. If you reside in Vancouver, we hope this series will inspire you to order from our local producers; if you reside elsewhere, we hope this inspires you to think about how you can help your local producers and farmers. The Pendulum Team.