MUSHROOM AND CAMEMBERT CROSTINI ON BUTTER LETTUCE WITH TRUFFLE VINAIGRETTE

Mushroom and Camembert Crostini on Butter Lettuce with Truffle Vinaigrette image

Provided by Laura Werlin

Yield 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 15

Previous Next

3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons black truffle paste, in oil
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and white pepper (or black pepper)
1 regular or sourdough baguette, about 3 inches in diameter, cut into 32 (1/4-inch) thick slices
2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil for brushing the bread
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
3 portobello mushrooms (about 3/4 pound total), stems removed, caps sliced 1/4-inch thick, then cut crosswise into quarters
1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, caps sliced 1/4-inch thick, then cut crosswise into thirds
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 ounces Camembert cheese, such as Old Chatham's Hudson Valley Camembert, at room temperature (or use Brie or another soft-ripened cheese)
3 heads butter lettuce, washed and torn into large pieces
4 hard-boiled eggs, finely grated or pressed through a sieve
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

Steps:

To make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, truffle paste, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
To make the crostini: Preheat the broiler.
Brush the cut sides of the baguette slices with olive oil, and place under the broiler just until the bread is toasted on both sides. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and the butter over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and saute until they are tender and the juices, if any, have cooked away. (Wild mushrooms release almost no juices.) If the mushrooms seem dry, add a few drops of chicken stock or water and continue to cook until they're nice and tender and any remaining liquid has boiled away. (You want the mushrooms to be dry, almost crisp on the outside.) Add salt and a generous amount of pepper, and set aside.
Spread or spoon about 11/2 teaspoons Camembert on each slice of the toast. Broil for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the cheese has melted (or maybe even disappeared).
To assemble: Reheat the mushrooms if they have cooled, or, if you prefer, keep them at room temperature. Toss the lettuce and eggs with the dressing. Distribute on individual salad plates. Place 4 crostini on each plate, and top each one with about 1 tablespoon of the mushrooms. Sprinkle with a little parsley, and serve.