Vegan Oysters Rockefeller

This festive and decadent recipe, which will make you feel anything but vegan during the holidays, is actually six recipes in one. If each component is made ahead of time, the final appetizer can be whipped together at the last minute.

Each component, like the mushroom or the veggie mixtures, can be added to numerous other soups, sautés and pasta dishes. Sprinkle the panko mixture over almost anything savory, including vegan mac n cheese, or add a bit of the compound butter or special sauce to a cauliflower steak.

 

Vegan Oysters Rockefeller

PREP: 45 MINS (plus roasting time) YIELD: 1 dozen

Vegan Compound Butter Ingredients:

• 2 Tablespoons Vegan butter, room temperature
• 1 Tablespoon ground Seaweed Snacks, around 5 sheets*

Panko Mixture Ingredients:

• 2 Tablespoons Neutral oil (Avocado or Grapeseed)
• 2 Tablespoons Dulse** (optional)
• ¼ cup Panko bread crumbs
• Small pinch Kosher salt

Veggie Base Ingredients:

• 1 Tablespoon Vegan butter
• 2 Tablespoons Compound vegan butter (see above)
• 1 large Shallot, minced
• 1 Celery rib, thinly sliced
• 2 Tablespoons chopped celery leaves
• ½ small Fennel bulb, cored and thinly sliced, Fennel fronds, chopped (about 2 T.)
• 2 Garlic cloves, minced
• 2 Scallions, white and green parts (separated), thinly sliced
• 1 cup Parsley leaves, chopped
• ½ cup Watercress, chopped
• ¼ teaspoon Sea salt
• Panko mixture (see above)

Vegan Oyster Ingredients:

• 1 Tablespoon Neutral oil (Avocado or grapeseed)
• 2 Tablespoon White miso
• 2 teaspoons Soy sauce
• 1 Tablespoon Mirin
• 2 Tablespoons Water
• 8 ounces Mixed gourmet mushrooms, coarsely chopped

Special Sauce Ingredients:

• ¼ cup Vegan mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon Truff hot sauce (or favorite hot sauce)
• 2 teaspoons Fresh tarragon, minced

Tempura Oyster Mushroom Ingredients (optional):

• Peanut oil for frying (approx. 24 ounces)
• 1 ½ cups Rice flour
• 1 cup Ice water or chilled club soda
• 12 Oyster mushrooms, stems removed

 

Compound Butter Instructions:

1. In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the vegan butter with the ground seaweed snacks. Set aside or roll into a log and refrigerate for later use.
2. Leftover compound butter may be rolled into a log on a sheet of plastic and stored in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Panko Mixture Instructions:

1. In a small saucepan, heat the oil.
2. Add the dulse and flash fry it on high for 10 seconds.
3. Remove from the heat and add to the bread crumbs. Set aside.

Veggie Mixture Instructions:

1. In a medium-sized saucepan, heat the butter over medium heat.
2. Add shallots, celery ribs, sliced fennel, garlic, sliced scallion whites, and salt.
3. Saute, stirring periodically, until the veggies are soft and all of the liquid has evaporated. Set aside to cool for five minutes.
4. Transfer sauteed veggies to a food processor, along with the remaining greens (celery leaves, fennel fronds, scallion greens, parsley, and watercress), and process, on the pulse setting, until coarsely ground.
5. Add compound butter, a Tablespoon at a time, and process into a paste.
6. Add the panko and pulse until incorporated into the veggie mixture.
7. Correct for seasoning and set aside in a small bowl covered with plastic or scrape into a pastry bag.

Roasted mushrooms Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
3. Toss the mushrooms with the remaining ingredients and layer on the baking sheet in one even layer.
4. Roast for 15-20 minutes.

Special Sauce Instructions:

1. Blend together the mayo, the Truff, mayo, and the minced tarragon.
2. Season, to taste.

Mushrooms Tempura Instructions:

1. Heat the oil in a wok, deep fryer, or a deep saucepan to around 360 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Line a plate with two layers of paper towels and set aside.
3. Whisk together the rice flour and water. Adjust the amount of water so the batter has the consistency of a loose pancake batter.
4. Dip each mushroom into the batter, allowing the excess to drip off.
5. Gently add the mushroom to the oil and fry until a golden brown around the edges, around 3-4 minutes.
6. Remove to the paper towel-lined plate.

Vegan Rockefeller Instructions:

1. Place an oven rack on the top level and preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Line a rimmed baking sheet with twelve ceramic (oven-safe) oyster shells (or small ramekins)
3. Place one tempura oyster mushroom (if using) in each shell.
4. Spoon some of the mushroom mixture (about ½ Tablespoon) into each cavity.
5. Using a mini ice cream scoop, a small teaspoon (or a pastry bag with the tip cut off) spoon some of the panko-veggie mixture over the mushrooms.
6. Use the back of a spoon (or an offset spatula) to smooth the mixture evenly over the mushroom mixture.
7. Bake until the panko topping is golden brown, about 8 minutes.
8. Serve with a dollop of the special sauce.

 

Notes:

*Seaweed snacks: like Annie Chun’s or gimme brands (around 5 sheets).

**Dulse: Dulse is a nutrient-dense red marine algae that takes on a bacon-like flavor profile when flash fried. Dulse may be purchased at many health food stores and also at Whole Foods. You may omit dulse from this recipe or swap it out for nutritional yeast, to taste, although the flavor profile will be significantly altered.