Oyster Mushroom, Ham and Pepper with Ajilimójil Sauce

These pintxos are a must to go with a cocktail. Ajilimójili Sauce is a sauce from Andalusia, Andalusia is located in the south of the Iberian Peninsula, in southwestern Europe. It’s basically a garlic herb sauce.

Ajilimójili Sauce is a sauce from Andalusia, Andalusia is located in the south of the Iberian Peninsula, in southwestern Europe.

Makes 10

Oyster Mushroom, Ham and Pepper Pintxos

Ingredients:

2-3 Tbl Porcini Extra Virgin Olive OIL

4 fresh banana peppers

Kosher salt

8-10 oyster mushrooms, stems trimmed, you can substitute shiitake or other mushrooms

6 slices Jamon Iberico, cut crosswise in half

baguette, sliced on an angle and toasted

Ajilimójili sauce (recipe follows) 

Directions:

Pour 2 Tbs of Porcini Extra Virgin Olive Oil into a 8 “ pan and heat to about 350°F. To test the oil temperature without a digital thermometer, add a single pepper to the oil; if it sizzles on contact, the oil is ready. Add all the peppers to the pan and cook without moving them for 30 to 60 seconds, then flip them over and continue to cook, turning them as needed, for about 1 minute more, or until they are well blistered with a few touches of gold. Remove the peppers with a slotted spoon and transfer to paper towels to drain. Sprinkle generously with salt and cut into 1” pieces.

Wipe the pan clean and heat over high heat until hot. Add the mushrooms and drizzle  with some of the ajilimojili.

Sear the mushrooms on one side, without moving them, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium, flip the mushrooms, and drizzle with 2  Tbl  Porcini Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Cook the mushrooms until golden, about 1 minute more. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Add the ham to the pan and cook, turning once, for about 30 seconds on each side, until the fat has rendered a bit. Transfer to a plate.

To assemble, place one mushroom on the toasted side of each piece of bread, drizzle with the ajilimójili and place the ham on top of the mushrooms. Top each one with a  piece of fried pepper. Serve immediately.

Ajilimójili Sauce

Ingredients:

½ cup Garlic Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 Tbl apple cider vinegar

2 garlic cloves, halved and green germ removed

1 cup parsley

Directions:

Combine ½ cup of the Garlic Extra Virgin Olive Oil with the vinegar, garlic, and parsley in a food processor or blender and blend well.