Wild Mushroom Nachos

Whether you need a game day snack or a weeknight dinner, these wild nachos use dried mushrooms, black walnuts, and foraged herbs to give a crowd favorite the Foraged flair.
category
Recipe
Author
Foraged
date
03.17.23
read time
1 minutes

Overview:

Prep Time
10 minutes
Active Time
30 minutes
Total Time
40 minutes
Cost
10
Course
Main Course, Snack
Keyword
Black Walnut, Crema, Dried Mushrooms
Cuisine
American, Mexican
Yields
4

INGREDIENTS:

Wild Mushroom Nachos Ingredients
- 1 skillet or sheet pan
- 1.5 cups dried mushrooms
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 medium onion [any variety will work]
- 1-2 hot pepper [try jalapeño, fresno, or serrano]
- 6 bulbs wild garlic [or 2 cloves garlic]
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp wild spices [we used spiceberry, bayberry, and epazote]
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 4-6 tbsp olive oil
- Yellow corn tortilla chips
- Shredded cheese [such as Sharp Cheddar and Monterey Jack]
- Mushroom meat
- Black walnut crema [see notes for recipe]
- Sliced radishes
- Pickled red onion
- Wild herbs [try fennel, carrot, or chickweed]
- Lime, for serving

Preparation:

Step 1 - Layer chips, cheese, and mushroom meat

Mushroom Meat 1. Blend the water, onion, hot pepper(s), wild garlic, tomato paste, soy sauce, spices, and salt until smooth and homogenous. 2. Place the blended liquid and dried mushrooms into a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook until the liquid has been absorbed and evaporated, 10-15min. 3. Add 2 tbsp of olive oil to the pan and let the mushrooms sit undisturbed to brown, 3-5min. When the mushrooms have taken on crispy parts, stir the pan and repeat the process two more times with the remaining olive oil. The mushrooms should be quite dark with the occasional charred spot. 4. Remove the mushrooms from the pan and coarsely chop.

Nachos:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees, or set broiler on low. Layer the chips, cheese, and mushroom meat in a sheet pan or skillet.

Layer chips, cheese, and mushroom meat
Layer chips, cheese, and mushroom meat
Step 2 - Broil for 3-5 minutes

2. Bake or broil in the oven until the cheese melts and begins to bubble, 3-5min.

Broil for 3-5 minutes
Broil for 3-5 minutes
Step 3 - Top with black walnut crema

3. Remove from oven, and drizzle with black walnut crema

Top with black walnut crema
Top with black walnut crema
Step 4 - Add toppings and wild herbs

4. Top with radishes, pickled red onions, and wild herbs. Serve with lime and extra crema.

Add toppings and wild herbs
Add toppings and wild herbs

What Makes these Nachos Wild?

First, we’re using a whole mix of dried wild mushrooms to make the meat in these nachos – everything from chanterelles to morels! We include the instructions in the recipe below, but we’ve also got an alternate version with step by step instructions of our Spicy Mushroom Meat.

Second, we coat the nachos in a Black Walnut Crema, which gives a subtle smokiness from one of our favorite foraged nuts.

And finally, we’ve included two opportunities to throw in your own wild spices and herbs: add flavors to the mushroom meat, and finish the dish with something fresh and green. We have cilantro pictured here, but we think fennel fronds, carrot leaves, or chickweed would take these wild nachos to the next level!

make something wild

Need some inspiration or insight on how to use your new goods? We got it.