Pan-roasted maitake with two garlics

Ingredients

2 heads elephant garlic
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Coarsely ground sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 head black garlic (available at specialty grocers and ethnic markets)
1/2 bunch fresh thyme
1 tbsp. grapeseed oil
1 lb. maitake mushrooms or other meaty mushrooms such as oyster or chanterelle
12 slices sourdough bread, grilled (see note)

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Slice the tops off the elephant garlic. Drizzle liberally with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Wrap garlic heads in foil and roast for 30 to 40 minutes or until soft. Remove garlic from foil. Peel the outside from the bulbs, then gently squeeze each clove out of the bulbs. Reserve. Meanwhile, separate the cloves of the black garlic, remove paper-like skin and slice off both tips of each clove. Slice cloves in half lengthwise. Reserve.

Reserve 6 sprigs of thyme for garnish and finely chop the remainder. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and add just enough grapeseed oil to coat the surface. Add mushrooms (whole or torn into bite-sized pieces), season with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Arrange roasted elephant garlic cloves, black garlic cloves and chopped thyme over mushrooms and place skillet into the 425-degree oven. Roast for 8 to 10 minutes or until mushrooms begin to color.

Divide mushrooms evenly over grilled bread. Season with salt and garnish with sprigs of fresh thyme.

Note: Bread may be grilled up to an hour before serving. Toss slices of bread in olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill for 30 to 45 seconds on each side or until just toasted.

Serves 6