King Trumpet Mushroom "Scallops" and Lentil "Caviar"
A luxurious vegetarian entrée featuring seared king trumpet mushroom “scallops,” briny beluga lentil “caviar,” and silky pappardelle coated in lemon-thyme sauce.
Servings 10 (click to scale)
Calories 730kcal
Ingredients
- 2-1/2 cups dried black lentils
- 7-1/2 cups water
- 2 each bay leaf
- 1-1/3 Tbsp kosher salt
- 10 Tbsp capers split into brine and liquid
- 40 ounces King Trumpet mushrooms
- 12 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/8 tsp sea salt
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- 30 ounces dried pappardelle
- 3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 5 ounces capers
- 5 Tbsp parsley chopped
- 5 ounces parmesan grated
- 10 each thyme
- 2 each lemon
Instructions
- Make the Beluga Lentil Caviar (Prepare Ahead). Rinse lentils and combine with water in a small saucepan and add in bay leaf. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook about 20 minutes until tender but intact. Drain well and transfer to a bowl. Capers you will need finely chopped and the brine. For 10 servings, you need 10 tablespoons of brine and 10 tablespoons chopped capers. Fold in salt, capers, and caper brine to drained lentils. Refrigerate at least 2 hours (or up to 2 days) to allow flavors to deepen. The result should be glossy, briny, and spoonable — similar in texture to caviar.
- Prepare the Mushroom “Scallops” Slice trumpet mushrooms into 1-inch thick rounds (you should get about 30-35). Score the flat sides lightly in a crosshatch pattern for better browning. In a small saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Swirl until it foams and develops golden brown specks (2–3 minutes). Remove from heat — this is your brown butter.
- Heat remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add thyme sprigs to infuse the butter. Add mushroom rounds in a single layer. Spoon half the brown butter over them. Cook 3–5 minutes until deeply golden. Flip, spoon remaining brown butter over top, and cook another 3–5 minutes until tender and caramelized. Season with salt, pepper, and fresh thyme leaves. Remove from pan and keep warm. Reserve any browned butter left in the pan.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook fresh pappardelle 4–6 minutes (or dried according to package) until al dente. Reserve ½ cup pasta water, then drain. Return pasta to the warm skillet with the reserved brown butter. Add lemon zest, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, white wine, and a splash of pasta water. Toss gently to emulsify into a glossy sauce. Fold in parsley and optional capers.
- Adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, and more lemon if needed. Finish with grated Parmesan and toss lightly.
Nutrition
Calories: 730kcal | Carbohydrates: 100g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Sodium: 1590mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 4g
