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Hongos a la Plancha con Yema
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Hongos a la plancha con yema is Basque, especially Donostia in autumn: wild mushrooms seared hard, not stewed, with garlic and a yolk that melts into the oil.
Appetizers & Snacks
Spanish
Dinner Party
Special Occasion
Date Night
15 min
Active Time
8 min cook•23 min total
Yield4 pintxos
Hongos a la plancha con yema is Basque, from the autumn counter of Donostia, where a pintxo can be only mushrooms, garlic, parsley, olive oil, and one egg yolk, and still stop the room. Hongos here means the good wild ones, especially boletus, thick enough to take the heat and stay meaty under the knife.
The method that decides it is the plancha. The pan must be wide and properly hot before the mushrooms go in, or they throw their water, sit in it, and stew. You want browned edges, a little chew, and their juices caught in the oil, not a damp pile. Garlic goes in late so it scents the oil without burning. Burnt garlic is not character, it's bitterness.
If you can't find fresh boletus where you are, use king oyster mushrooms or firm portobello mushrooms, cut thick. They won't give you the same forest perfume, but they will sear cleanly and hold the yolk well. Don't make this with tired sliced button mushrooms from a plastic box. Sourcing wins. Con buenos ingredientes y paciencia, and a pan hot enough to mean it, siempre sale, si lo sigues.
Hongos a la plancha belongs to the Basque Country's autumn mushroom season, when boletus and other wild fungi come into the markets of Gipuzkoa and onto the pintxo bars of Donostia. Basque cooking has long treated mushrooms plainly, with heat, garlic, parsley, and good oil, because the point is the mushroom itself, not a sauce hiding it. The raw yolk is a bar-counter finish: it turns the oil and mushroom juices into a quick sauce when broken at the table.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
fresh boletus or other firm wild mushrooms
Quantity
500g
cleaned and cut into 1cm thick slices
extra virgin olive oil
Quantity
3 tablespoons
garlic cloves
Quantity
2
very thinly sliced
flat-leaf parsley
Quantity
2 tablespoons
finely chopped
fresh egg yolks
Quantity
4
separated just before serving
fine sea salt
Quantity
1/2 teaspoon, plus more to taste
freshly ground black pepper
Quantity
to taste
rustic bread
Quantity
4 small slices
toasted
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| fresh boletus or other firm wild mushroomscleaned and cut into 1cm thick slices | 500g |
| extra virgin olive oil | 3 tablespoons |
| garlic clovesvery thinly sliced | 2 |
| flat-leaf parsleyfinely chopped | 2 tablespoons |
| fresh egg yolksseparated just before serving | 4 |
| fine sea salt | 1/2 teaspoon, plus more to taste |
| freshly ground black pepper | to taste |
| rustic breadtoasted | 4 small slices |
Equipment Needed
- •Wide cast-iron pan or flat plancha
- •Soft mushroom brush
- •Small bowls for separating yolks
Instructions
- 1
Clean the hongos
Brush the mushrooms clean with a soft brush or a barely damp cloth. Trim away any sandy or bruised parts. Do not soak them; mushrooms drink water, and water is the enemy of a good plancha. Cut them into thick 1cm slices so they brown before they collapse.
If using king oyster mushrooms, slice them lengthwise. If using portobello, scrape out very wet dark gills only if they look loose and watery. - 2
Heat the plancha
Set a wide cast-iron pan or plancha over medium-high heat for 3 to 4 minutes, until a drop of water flicked onto it jumps and disappears fast. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and spread it thin. The pan must be hot before the hongos touch it, because the first minute decides whether they sear or stew.
- 3
Sear in one layer
Lay the mushrooms in one layer, with space between the pieces. Cook without moving them for 2 minutes, then turn and cook 2 minutes more, until the edges are browned and the centres are tender but still meaty. If your pan is small, cook in two batches. Crowding the pan gives you mushroom soup. Good soup, maybe, but not this pintxo.
- 4
Add garlic late
Lower the heat to medium. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, the sliced garlic, salt, and a little black pepper. Toss for 45 to 60 seconds, just until the garlic smells sweet and turns pale gold. Add the parsley and toss once more. Take the pan off the heat before the garlic darkens.
- 5
Finish with yolk
Pile the hot mushrooms onto the toasted bread or onto small warm plates. Make a shallow hollow in each portion and set one egg yolk in the middle. Sprinkle the yolk with a few grains of salt. Serve at once, telling people to break the yolk through the hot hongos so it thickens the oil and juices into a sauce.
Chef Tips
- •Fresh boletus are the prize here, but only when they smell clean and nutty, never sour or damp. If the season gives you tired mushrooms, wait or buy king oyster mushrooms instead.
- •Dried porcini are useful in many stews, but not as the main mushroom here. Rehydrated mushrooms do not sear the same way; they taste fine, but the texture turns soft and the plancha is lost.
- •Use very fresh eggs. For pregnant guests, older people, small children, or anyone with a weakened immune system, use pasteurized egg yolks or set the yolk briefly over the hot mushrooms until it thickens.
- •Serve this the moment it is made. The yolk is the sauce, and the mushrooms are best while their browned edges still hold.
Advance Preparation
- •Clean and slice the mushrooms up to 4 hours ahead, then keep them uncovered on a tray in the refrigerator so their surfaces stay dry.
- •Toast the bread up to 1 hour ahead. Warm it briefly before serving so the yolk and mushroom juices do not hit cold bread.
- •Separate the yolks just before serving. They sit badly and break when you need them most.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 145g)
Calories
270 calories
Total Fat
16 g
Saturated Fat
3 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
13 g
Cholesterol
185 mg
Sodium
450 mg
Total Carbohydrates
22 g
Dietary Fiber
3 g
Sugars
3 g
Protein
9 g
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