Pickled Oyster Mushrooms With Chili

Ingredients

6 cloves garlic, peeled and finely sliced

300 ml South Australian extra virgin olive oil or quality fresh 4 trays of oyster mushrooms

2 smalls hot chillies, very finely chopped

4 lrg sweet red chillies, seeded and finely

(4 to 6) julienned

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon coarsely cracked black pepper

300 ml balsamic vinegar

Preparation

Saute the garlic in a little of the olive oil until it is golden.

Remove it from the pan and drain it on a paper towel.

Add the remaining oil and turn the heat to its highest point. When it is very hot, add all of the mushrooms and cook them, stirring them over gently but continuously until they are golden brown.

Add the chopped chilli and chilli julienne, salt and pepper, cook for a further minute, then standing well back as it sometimes ignites add the vinegar.

Stir over and remove from the heat, stir in the garlic.

NOTE: Good recipe references for oyster mushrooms can be found in most Chinese and Japanese cookbooks. Their delicate flavour work well with fish and chicken, but as a texture they are excellent with almost any type of flavour of food combination.