On Sunday, May 7th, Ashley hits the road to Asheville to cook a special dinner with one of our favorite people, chef Elliott Moss, and his team at Buxton Hall BBQ. Ashley and Elliott will be collaborating on a menu that features dishes from both of their cookbooks, Poole’s: Recipes & Stories from a Modern Diner, and Buxton Hall Barbecue’s Book of Smoke. Get your tickets here.
This oyster mushroom dish is available at Poole's Diner in some form all year round. In the summer, we might use sweet corn; in the winter, brussels sprouts or cauliflower. But during spring, you'll always find it featuring asparagus, and it might be our favorite version of all. This recipe is excerpted from our cookbook, Poole's: Recipe and Stories from a Modern Diner, which is available for purchase here or anywhere books are sold.
Oyster Mushrooms and Asparagus with Sherry and Cream
Serves 8
3 tablespoons neutral vegetable oil
2 pounds oyster mushrooms, tough stems removed, torn into bite-size pieces
Sea salt
1 ⁄4 cup minced shallots
4 thyme sprigs
2 pounds asparagus, ends trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 cup amontillado sherry (I like Lustau)
3⁄4 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
2 tablespoons Porcini Butter (see Note)
Juice of 1 ⁄2 lemon
In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and let sear, stirring a few times, until the moisture they release has evaporated and the edges begin to crisp and they get caramelized. Season lightly with salt.
Add the shallots and thyme and cook for 1 minute, stirring to combine and coat everything. Stir in the asparagus, then add the sherry and deglaze the pan by swirling and scraping the bottom of the pan to release any browned bits. Cook until the liquid is reduced by three-quarters, stirring occasionally; this will take about 3 minutes. Add the cream and let it reduce until it’s thickened slightly and coats the asparagus and mushrooms, about another 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the cold butters.
Stir in the lemon juice, season with salt to taste, and serve immediately.
Note: We make porcini butter by reconstituting 1 ounce of dried porcini mushrooms and blending them with 1 cup (2 sticks) butter. You can substitute regular unsalted butter if you don't want to take the extra step.
We are thrilled to announce that Asha Gomez, chef and author of the award-winning cookbook, My Two Souths, will be our guest chef for our spring edition of Stir the Pot, our dinner series benefiting the Southern Foodways Alliance.
On Sunday, April 23rd, Asha will cook a multi-course dinner at Poole's Diner that celebrates her unique culinary vantage point, a blend of Southern traditions as well as the flavors and recipes from her birthplace, India. Purchase your ticket here.
On Monday, April 24th, we gather at Bridge Club, our private events venue, for a potluck. Help us welcome Asha to Raleigh by bringing a dish to share. We'll provide the main course, and our friends from High Wire Distillery in Charleston will be on hand pouring some of their signature libations. Purchase your ticket here.
Last weekend, we participated in the annual Charleston Wine and Food Festival. Read on about some of our favorite bites in the Queen City, as well as a recap of what we cooked.
What we made:
Crab doughnut holes with smoked tomato remoulade
We made the delicious snack (a variation of the crab churros recipe in the Poole’s Diner cookbook) at a raging cocktail party at Williams-Sonoma. We were honored to cook with a number of awesome folks: Joshua McFadden, from Ava Gene’s in Portland, Oregon; Matt Bolus, from 404 Kitchen in Nashville; Gavin Kaysen of Spoon & Stable in Minneapolis; and Scott Baird of Trick Dog in San Francisco.
Crab and grits with smoked tomato and crispy garlic
This was our contribution to a multi-course luncheon hosted by CherryBombe magazine. After the feast, Ashley was part of a panel discussion with the other collaborating chefs (Vivian Howard, Carrie Morrey and Jessica Grossman), as well as Ellen Bennett from Hedley & Bennett and Ruth Reichl.
Grilled oysters with roasted tomato butter, country ham crumbs, and Meyer lemon gremolata
We teamed up with Sea Island Forge, makers of gorgeous cauldron grills, and Rappahannock Oysters to rock this fun wood-fire cooked oyster dish.
Where we ate:
We’ve been huge fans of Rodney Scott’s delicious whole hog barbecue for years, and were thrilled to visit his first (brand-new) outpost in Charleston. The whole hog is definitely delicious, but don’t sleep on the and the ribs and the sides (in particular, the collards and the mac and cheese), which blew our minds.
This tiny shellfish emporium is a perfect place to visit for a few dozen oysters and a few glasses of rosé. If the weather’s nice, definitely wait for a patio seat.
The taco joint from chef Sean Brock’s Neighborhood Restaurant Group may be casual, but the easygoing atmosphere belies the excellent quality of every dish, from smoked chicken wings to an insane green chorizo taco topped with a thick wedge of crispy potato. AC’s favorite drink? The Satanico, a frozen concoction of tequila, Chartreuse, pineapple vinegar and tepache.
Our pal Brooks Reitz’s newest project, this tavern-like space keeps focus on the classics, such as steak, brick chicken, shrimp cocktail, and crab Louie. It also features one of the most craveable damn burgers in the Southeast.
Where we stayed:
This luxury hotel just across the street from Marion Square features is housed in a former government building, which makes the beauty of its modern décor and spacious rooms all the more impressive. The lobby bar, dubbed “The Living Room,” quickly became our go-to spot for an afternoon Aperol Spritz.
The restaurant industry depends on the dedication and work of immigrants, and thrives through the contributions of this diverse group.
On March 26th, more than 20 chefs and beverage professionals from all over North Carolina are gathering together to cook a meal in the spirit of unity and stand in support of our immigrant team members, family members, and guests.
Join us for this very special multi-course dinner, which will benefit the ACLU of North Carolina's important work to protect the constitutional rights of immigrants and all North Carolinians. Purchase your tickets here; seats are very limited.
Participating chefs and groups include:
This event will include a multi-course, family style seated dinner (with cocktail, beer and wine pairing), followed by dessert and a small auction.
Due to the nature of this event, individual dietary restrictions cannot be accommodated. We apologize for any inconvenience.
Beasley's Chicken + Honey,
Fox Liquor Bar
237 S. Wilmington St, Raleigh NC, 27601
[919] 322-0127, 322-0126, 322-0128 Respectively
Bridge Club
105 W. Hargett St, Raleigh NC, 27601
Death & Taxes
105 W. Hargett St, Raleigh NC, 27601
[984] 242-0218
Poole's Diner
426 S. McDowell St, Raleigh NC, 27601
[919] 832-4477