King Trumpet 'Scallops'
Cross-section the stem. Sear like a scallop. Receive applause.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Hands-on
- 20 min
- Servings
- 2
- Difficulty
- medium
King trumpet (Pleurotus eryngii) has a thick, dense, pearly-white stem that — when sliced into 1-inch rounds and seared in a screaming-hot skillet — has the exact texture and visual appearance of seared bay scallop. This is the showpiece dish of vegan-pivot cooking. Made well, it fools omnivores. Made poorly, it's just sliced mushroom. The difference is technique: dry surface, hot pan, no movement.
Method
- 1
Score the cut surface of each scallop in a shallow crosshatch with a sharp knife. This both increases surface area for caramelization and helps with visual mimicry.
- 2
Pat scallops VERY dry with a paper towel — surface moisture is the enemy of sear. Salt lightly.
- 3
Heat the neutral oil in a heavy skillet (cast iron preferred) over high until shimmering and just smoking.
- 4
Place each scallop scored-side-down in the pan. DO NOT MOVE for 3 minutes. They must sear undisturbed until the bottom is deeply golden brown.
- 5
Flip each scallop. Add butter, garlic, and thyme. Baste continuously for 90 seconds — tilt the pan and spoon foaming butter over the tops.
- 6
Off heat, finish with lemon juice, flaky salt, and parsley. Serve with extra lemon wedges.
Notes + variations
- •If you skip the score-and-dry steps, you're just making sliced sautéed mushroom — perfectly fine, but not scallops.
- •Cap meat is also good but cooks differently — save the caps for stir-fries or stocks.
- •Don't oil the pan less than this calls for. The mushroom needs full surface contact at high heat.
Grow it yourself
This recipe pairs with the following cultivated strains. If you're growing at home, here's what to plant.
Cooking workflow
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