Crispy Baked Mushrooms

Step 1: Mushrooms ... First thing you need to do is prepare the mushrooms. Clean all the mushrooms with a soft brush or damp paper towel. Now-a-days, mushrooms come pretty clean; but, you want to make sure to clean them up a bit. But, DO NOT rinse under water. Shitakis, I remove the stems, they are tough; but, you can save them for stock. For the creminis, I simply trim the stems - they are fine to eat. Then, slice them up and place on your sheet tray; make sure they are spread out; and cover with a dish towel. Let them set over night or all day on the counter. Drying them will create a crisp but tender mushroom. This isn't necessary; but, if you don't - your mushrooms will not be as crisp - as this recipe is all about CRISPY mushrooms.

Step 2: Oil and Vinegar ... Add the olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, thyme, and garlic to a large bowl and mix to combine. Then, add mushrooms and toss.

Step 3: Bake ... Transfer the mushrooms to a sheet pan lined with foil or parchment paper (for easy clean up). Make sure to spread them out; otherwise, they will NOT get crispy if they are on top of one another, or too close to one another. Give them a little 'breathing room.'

Step 4: Bake them in a 400 degree oven, middle shelf, for 10-20 minutes; until tender, but lightly crisp. NOTE: As I mentioned in my intro; if you cook them another few minutes; they tend to crisp up a bit more. These make a fantastic garnish to salads or soups. Take them out of the oven, when they are the consistency you like.

Step 5: Serve and ENJOY! ... As I said, you can use these as a garnish on soups or salads; or, you can serve these as is. They are also wonderful over mashed potatoes, on grilled steaks; or tossed with pasta, couscous, or rice. So, you can see all the different ways these can be used. One of my favorite dishes, roast them using rice wine vinegar until very crisp; then, toss with sauteed green beans and sesame oil. They are absolutely delicious!!