It's December and we are on the last month of Steemit Iron Chef 2017. The theme for week 14 is mushrooms. Some like them, some don't. Luckily, I do.

The inspiration for my entry is breakfast, the potatoes-and-eggs type. With mushrooms, of course.

My Week 14 Entry: Mushroom and Bell Pepper Sous Vide Eggs, Potato and Mushroom Bars, Brown Butter Sautéed Mushroom Medley, Fluted Crimini, Mushroom Purée and Mushroom Powder on Crême Fraiche

Mushroom and Bell Pepper Sous Vide Eggs

Let's start with the eggs.

Button mushrooms are combined with bell peppers and garlic. I sautéed them then put them in a mixture of beaten eggs, cream and milk.

I put the egg mixture in mason jars then cooked them in a sous vide bath for 90 minutes at 172^oF.

Here's a closer look.

They go in an ice bath after cooking.

See below for my previous posts on cooking sous vide.

24-Hour Sous Vide Osso Bucco
Sous Vide Crispy Chicken Thighs
Sous Vide Flan

Now it's time for the potatoes.

Potato and Mushroom Bars

Mashed potatoes, chopped button and crimini mushrooms and green onions are combined, seasoned and put in a rectangular silicone mold. I froze them overnight for easy dredging in flour and bread crumbs.

I gave the potato bars a quick fry to brown on all sides then baked them in the oven to heat through. Notice how the bars took on the rich color of the mushrooms.

Brown Butter Sautéed Mushroom Medley

I love browned butter aka beurre noisette. It has this deep, toasty flavor that boosts dishes, savory and sweet alike. Add garlic and voila, magic happens!

I started by hydrating wood ear mushrooms. It's dry and hard at this stage. I gave it a quick rinse.

The wood ear mushrooms are soaked in water.

Here's how it looks like after 15 minutes.

They get huge when they're fully hydrated!

I cooked chanterelles, portabellas and wood ear mushrooms in the browned butter and garlic sauce. Here's the portabella in front and the chanterelle in the back.

And here's the wood ear mushroom with chanterelle.

Fluted Crimini

More mushrooms. I made some fluted crimini by peeling the cap then carving out some segments, saving the trimmings for the Mushroom Purée. Then to give it a smooth finish, I rounded the segments slightly and carefully ... yup, I got carried away and made a bunch. However, it wasn't easy to make them nice so I used only 3 of the "nicest" ones for the final plating.

I then cooked the fluted crimini mushrooms in vegetable broth.

I set this crimini mushroom on a bed of crispy popped black rice.

Mushroom Purée

I used the trimmings from the fluted crimini above plus added more mushrooms to make a purée.

Mushroom Powder

Dried shiitake mushrooms are put through a food processor to get this fine powder. I like making the mushroom powder base plain as opposed to adding seasonings. This gives me a clean canvas for creating different flavors of mushroom-based powders that complement the dishes I make by adding the appropriate herbs, seasonings, and spices. For this dish, I added smoked paprika and toasted black sesame seeds.

For this plating, I served a small quenelle of crême fraiche with a sprinkling of the mushroom powder.

Mushroom powder with black sesame seeds in the foreground and crispy popped black rice in the back.

My proof photo

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Mushroom and Bell Pepper Sous Vide Eggs, Potato and Mushroom Bars, Brown Butter Sautéed Mushroom Medley, Fluted Crimini, Mushroom Purée and Mushroom Powder

Mushroom and Bell Pepper Sous Vide Eggs

Ingredients

10 pieces button mushrooms, chopped
3/4 cup chopped bell pepper
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons oil
Salt

6 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
Salt

Directions

Prepare sous vide bath to 172 ^oF.

Sauté mushroom and garlic in oil. Season with salt.

Beat eggs. Add in sautéed veggies, milk and cream. Season with salt. Put in 6 small mason jars. Seal jars, making sure they are fingertip tight. Click here to see ChefSteps' tip on how to do a fingertip tight seal.

Potato and Mushroom Bars

Ingredients

2 medium-sized potatoes
10 crimini and/or button mushrooms, chopped
Salt
Pepper
2 - 6 teaspoons vegetable broth
Flour for dredging
1 egg, beaten
Panko bread crumbs for dredging
Cooking oil

Directions

Boil potatoes with skin on until tender. Scoop potatoes out and put in a bowl with cold water. Peel potatoes then mash. Add the chopped mushroom. Mixture should be dry but not too dry that it cannot be formed. If mixture is too dry, add vegetable broth a teaspoon at a time. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Put in molds or form into desired shape. Freeze for easy dredging in flour and bread crumbs.

Dredge each bar in flour to coat. Tap bars so excess flour comes off. Dip in beaten egg then in bread crumbs. Brown all sides in hot oil. Since bars may still be frozen inside, bake in oven at 350^oF to heat through. Serve warm.

Brown Butter Sautéed Mushroom Medley

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter
3 cloves garlic, chopped
Mushrooms, any variety
Salt
Pepper

Directions

Slice butter into big chunks. Cook in a thick-bottomed pan on medium heat until it melts, whisking frequently. Once the butter melts, it will foam then subside. Continue cooking until the milk solids form and sink to the bottom of the pan. When the milk solids are brown, take the pan off the heat. Be sure not to burn it.

Add the chopped garlic and cook for 1 - 2 minutes. Add in the mushrooms and cook until slightly tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Fluted Crimini

Ingredients

Crimini mushrooms
Vegetable broth
Salt

Directions

Peel the tops of the crimini, starting from the base of the mushroom cap to the top and center. Cut notches at angles from the base to the top. Smooth the cuts.

Cook crimini mushrooms in vegetable broth for 10 minutes or until slightly tender. Season with salt then cook for another minute. Drain.

Mushroom Purée

Ingredients

Trimmings from fluted crimini
Crimini and/or button mushrooms
Vegetable broth
Salt

Directions

Purée mushroom trimmings and mushroom in blender, adding as little vegetable broth as possible. Season with salt to taste. Purée should be thick and spreadable.

Mushroom Powder

Ingredients

Dried shiitake mushrooms
1/4 teaspoon black sesame seeds
Pinch of smoked paprika
Salt

Directions

Run the shiitake mushrooms in the food processor until fine texture is acheived. Store in an airtight jar.

For this plating, toast sesame seeds in a dry pan for 3 minutes on low heat, stirring continuously to avoid burning.

Measure 1/2 teaspoon mushroom powder. Combine with toasted black sesame seeds and smoked paprika.

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Bon Appetit!

2017 is almost over but it's never too late. If you haven't yet, come join @progressivechef's Steemit Iron Chef Contest and be part of the fun!