Oven-Roasted Shiitake Mushrooms(6 To 8 Servings) - cooking recipe

Ingredients

cooking spray (optional)
1 1/4 lb. shiitake mushrooms, stems removed (save the stems for stock if desired)
1 to 3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. very finely minced or pureed garlic
coarse sea salt to taste (if salt is in very large crystals, you may crush it a bit with a mortar and pestle)
sprigs fresh thyme or rosemary

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 400\u00b0. Spray a jelly roll pan or a baking sheet with sides with cooking spray or use a nonstick pan. Toss the mushrooms with the oil, garlic and salt. Place the shiitakes in a single layer on the prepared pan, caps up or down, it makes no difference. Just make sure that they have room to breathe. Roast, uncovered, for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and shake a few times. Some of the mushrooms should be starting to get a little golden on the lighter underneath side of the caps. You will probably need to put them back in for a little longer, say 3 to 5 minutes, maybe more if your oven wasn't really hot when you put them in. You want at least a third of the mushrooms starting to turn a nice golden color on the gill side and getting a little crunchy. If you have used the lesser amount of oil, this will happen more quickly.