Herring mushrooms two ways: in creamy pepper sauce & spicy mustard sauce #veganchristmas

I remember what a great December tradition in my family home it was to serve pickled herring. Preparing the large jars, heating up the vinegar brine with some bay leaves and allspice, slicing a lot of onions, and then eating the herring at any time of day, also at breakfast on those festive days. How great my surprise was a few years ago when I tried a dish flavoured with linseed oil for the first time in my life – it turned out that I had already known quite a similar type of fat … the one in fish dishes! Later, when I discovered the magical combination of oyster mushrooms (with their fleshy structure) with some linseed oil, a little spices, vinegar and onions, the crush had begun. Below, I present my two favourite ways to pickle “herring” oyster mushrooms, with the addition of the delicious and slightly bitter linseed oil: a plant-based source of omega-3 and omega-6 acids. This dish is a great appetizer for the winter celebration.

This oyster mushroom “herring” can be stored in the refrigerator for about one week.

Herring mushrooms two ways: in creamy pepper sauce & spicy mustard sauce

• 400g or 500 g of oyster mushrooms
• A few tbsp of rapeseed oil (for frying or baking)

Baked mushrooms:

• Preheat the oven to 190 degrees Celsius.

• Using your hands, gently massage a few tablespoons of rapeseed oil into the mushrooms and place them on a baking sheet lined with baking paper. The mushrooms should not be sticking to each other. If necessary – use two sheets.

• Bake for about 20 minutes until they start to lightly blush and shrink.

Fried mushrooms:

• Heat a couple of tablespoons of rapeseed oil in a large frying pan.

• Place the mushrooms in the pan so that they all have contact with the bottom and can be fried well. It is best to fry one half of the mushrooms first so that they don’t stick to each other.

• Do not stir the oyster mushrooms but let them brown slightly and flip them after a few minutes. They are ready when they start to become slightly golden on both sides.

2. Divide the baked or fried mushrooms into two batches, one to be mixed with the creamy pepper sauce and the other with the spicy mushroom sauce.

3. Prepare the creamy pepper sauce:

• 100g of tofu (any natural, soft tofu will work well here)
• 4 tbsp of linseed oil
• 1/2 tsp of salt
• 1 tsp of your favourite mustard (I recommend dijon) 1 tbsp of soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp of freshly ground black pepper a good pinch of white pepper

• 1 onion
• 3 tbsp of apple or white wine vinegar
• 3 allspice seeds and 1 bay leaf (or: 3 cloves and 2 juniper berries)

• Peel the onion and cut it into thin strips. Mix it in a bowl with vinegar, bay leaf and allspice.

• Combine the tofu, linseed oil, salt, mustard, soy sauce and pepper in a tall container. Blend everything thoroughly until you get a smooth and rather thick texture. If it is too thick (it depends how moist your tofu is), add 2-3 tablespoons of water and blend it again.

• Mix half of the previously prepared oyster mushrooms with vinegar, onions, and the blended marinade in a bowl, tupperware, or jar. Leave it in the fridge for at least an hour to let the flavours combine.

• 2 tbsp of your favourite mustard (or: for example, one tbsp of hot and one mild)
• 4 tbsp of linseed oil
• 1 tbsp of sweet syrup (agave or maple) 1/2 tsp of salt
• 1 tbsp of light soy sauce
• freshly ground pepper

• 1 onion
• 3 tbsp of apple or white wine vinegar
• 3 allspice seeds and 1 bay leaf (or: 3 cloves and 2 juniper berries)

• Peel the onion and cut it into thin strips. Mix it in a bowl with vinegar, bay leaf and allspice.

• Combine the mustard sauce ingredients in another bowl, or in the same one that you used for the creamy pepper sauce, and mix everything thoroughly.

• Combine half of the previously prepared oyster mushrooms with the vinegar onions and the mustard sauce.

• Put everything in a tupperware or jar and leave it in the fridge for at least an hour to let the flavours combine.