Roasted Skeleton Mushroom Halves

How to Make Roasted Skeleton Mushroom Halves

1. 1

   Step 1: Prepare and carve mushroom skulls

   Active 20 min

   Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Wipe each large white button mushroom clean with a damp towel and, one at a time, slice it exactly in half longitudinally from the top of the cap through the stem so each half has a flat face. Lay each half flat on a cutting board with that sliced face up; using a small cylindrical tool (a drinking straw, metal piping tip, or small round cutter) punch two round eye holes in the cap area. Carve two small vertical slits under the eyes to form a nasal cavity and score the stem with several short, vertical parallel incisions to suggest teeth. Keep the carved features visible and intact — these are the defining skull details.

   For this step

   • 12 large mushroomslarge white button mushrooms
   
2. 2

   Step 2: Oil, season and roast the carved mushrooms

   Active 8 min · Passive 20 min

   Arrange the carved mushroom halves sliced-face-up on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle or brush the mushroom faces and carved cavities with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, then sprinkle evenly with the kosher salt and black pepper so the seasoning settles into the carved eye, nasal and teeth details. Roast in the preheated 400°F (200°C) oven for 18–22 minutes until the edges turn golden and the carved details deepen in color; halfway through roasting, baste each mushroom once with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to help accentuate the carved lines.

   For this step

   • 3 tbspolive oil
   • 1 1/2 tspkosher salt
   • 1/2 tspfreshly ground black pepper
   
3. 3

   Step 3: Sauté sausage, onion and garlic; cook jasmine rice in broth

   Active 12 min · Passive 18 min

   While the mushrooms roast, heat a wide skillet over medium-high heat and add the Italian sausage (break it up with a spatula). Cook until the sausage is no longer pink and begins to brown (about 5–6 minutes). Add the chopped yellow onion and minced garlic and sauté 3–4 minutes more until softened and fragrant. Stir in the jasmine rice and toast it 1–2 minutes with the sausage mixture, then pour in the beef broth, bring to a simmer, cover, reduce heat to low and cook undisturbed for 16–18 minutes until the rice has absorbed the liquid and is tender.

   For this step

   • 8 ozItalian sausage (bulk, casings removed)
   • 1 mediumyellow onion
   • 3 clovesgarlic
   • 1 cupjasmine rice
   • 2 cupsbeef broth
   
4. 4

   Step 4: Color and finish the rice

   Active 4 min

   When the rice is cooked, remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the squid ink (or black food coloring) tablespoon by tablespoon until the rice is evenly and deeply black; taste and adjust seasoning with the kosher salt if needed. Fluff the black rice gently with a fork so the color distributes evenly and set aside, covered, to keep warm for plating.

   For this step

   • 1 tbspsquid ink (or black food coloring)
   
5. 5

   Step 5: Assemble and serve

   Active 6 min

   Spoon about 1½ cups of the black jasmine rice onto each plate (this is a generous main serving). Arrange 3 carved roasted mushroom halves on top of each rice mound so the skull faces are clearly visible; press them slightly into the rice so they sit upright and the carved eyes and teeth are readable. Serve immediately while mushrooms are warm — leftovers can be refrigerated and gently reheated, but the carved crispness is best the day prepared.
   

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Wipe each large white button mushroom clean with a damp towel and, one at a time, slice it exactly in half longitudinally from the top of the cap through the stem so each half has a flat face. Lay each half flat on a cutting board with that sliced face up; using a small cylindrical tool (a drinking straw, metal piping tip, or small round cutter) punch two round eye holes in the cap area. Carve two small vertical slits under the eyes to form a nasal cavity and score the stem with several short, vertical parallel incisions to suggest teeth. Keep the carved features visible and intact — these are the defining skull details.
2. Arrange the carved mushroom halves sliced-face-up on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle or brush the mushroom faces and carved cavities with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, then sprinkle evenly with the kosher salt and black pepper so the seasoning settles into the carved eye, nasal and teeth details. Roast in the preheated 400°F (200°C) oven for 18–22 minutes until the edges turn golden and the carved details deepen in color; halfway through roasting, baste each mushroom once with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to help accentuate the carved lines.
3. While the mushrooms roast, heat a wide skillet over medium-high heat and add the Italian sausage (break it up with a spatula). Cook until the sausage is no longer pink and begins to brown (about 5–6 minutes). Add the chopped yellow onion and minced garlic and sauté 3–4 minutes more until softened and fragrant. Stir in the jasmine rice and toast it 1–2 minutes with the sausage mixture, then pour in the beef broth, bring to a simmer, cover, reduce heat to low and cook undisturbed for 16–18 minutes until the rice has absorbed the liquid and is tender.
4. When the rice is cooked, remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the squid ink (or black food coloring) tablespoon by tablespoon until the rice is evenly and deeply black; taste and adjust seasoning with the kosher salt if needed. Fluff the black rice gently with a fork so the color distributes evenly and set aside, covered, to keep warm for plating.
5. Spoon about 1½ cups of the black jasmine rice onto each plate (this is a generous main serving). Arrange 3 carved roasted mushroom halves on top of each rice mound so the skull faces are clearly visible; press them slightly into the rice so they sit upright and the carved eyes and teeth are readable. Serve immediately while mushrooms are warm — leftovers can be refrigerated and gently reheated, but the carved crispness is best the day prepared.