Lion’s mane mushroom steaks with Spanish Picada sauce

Carefully trim any tough stems from the bottom of the lion’s mane mushrooms and ensure that the mushroom remains intact.

Heat a large, cast-iron pan, or any heavy pan, over a medium-high heat. Add enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan. You may need to fry the mushrooms in batches depending on the size of the pan.

Place the lion’s mane mushroom, stem-side down, in the hot pan. Place a heavy-based saucepan on top of the mushroom to press it down. Cook for 4-5 minutes until the bottom is nicely browned. After the bottom is browned, gently flip the mushroom and cook the other side for a further 4-5 minutes. You can now start pressing the mushroom more firmly to compact it into a steak shape. If the pan looks dry, add more oil, moving the mushroom around to ensure even contact with the oil while pressing and searing.

When both sides are beautifully browned, lightly season with salt and pepper on both sides. Continue pressing and searing until the entire steak is deeply browned, slightly crisp at the edges and compacted, approx. 3-4 minutes more.

Meanwhile, prepare the Spanish picada sauce. Finely slice the garlic. Remove from the crusts from the bread slices and tear them into small pieces. In a small pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over a low heat. Add the garlic to the pan and sauté for approx. 1 minute until fragrant. Add the bread, stirring constantly, until the pieces turn golden brown and crispy. Add the blanched almonds to the pan and continue to cook for a further 2-3 minutes until they are lightly toasted. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the mixture to cool slightly.

In a food processor, or using a mortar and pestle, combine the bread mixture with the parsley and a dash of salt. Pulse, or grind, until you achieve a coarse sauce.

Place the seared lion’s mane mushroom steaks on a serving platter. Spoon the Spanish picada sauce over the mushroom steaks and finish with a light drizzle of olive oil.