Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Preheat oven and gather equipment

   5 min

   Preheat your oven to 220°C / 200°C fan. Take out a large cast iron skillet or frying pan and two roasting trays. You will also need a tea towel and a grill press, heavy saucepan/frying pan, or a flat metal lid to press down the lion's mane mushroom steaks while searing.

   Equipment: oven, cast iron skillet, roasting trays, tea towel, grill press
   Temperature: 220°C

2. Chop and roast baby potatoes

   23 min

   Cut the baby potatoes into roughly 1.5-2cm cubed pieces (cutting into halves, thirds or quarters works well, depending on potato size). Place them on one of the roasting trays, drizzle with olive oil, and season well with salt and pepper. Roast on the lower shelf of the oven for 20–25 minutes, or until golden and crispy.

   Equipment: knife, chopping board, roasting tray, oven

3. Sear lion's mane mushrooms

   12 min

   Place your skillet or frying pan over medium-high heat and add a generous glug of olive oil, or enough to lightly coat the base of the pan. Once the skillet is hot and nearly smoking, place the whole lion's mane mushrooms stem-side down in the pan. As the grill press will become very hot during cooking, fold your tea towel into a thick, heat-resistant pad to grasp the handle of your grill press, then press down on the mushroom and cook for 4–6 minutes, until the juices have evaporated, the bottom begins to form a golden crust and the mushroom has started to flatten. You don't need to continually press for the entire cooking time - pressing periodically as the mushroom cooks works well. Season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper, then flip the mushrooms and press down again firmly on the other side. Continue cooking until the mushrooms have released their juices and the liquid has evaporated completely, about 6-8 minutes. Both sides should develop a deep golden, caramelised crust. Depending on the size and moisture content of the mushrooms, the searing time may vary. Remove from the heat and transfer to the other roasting tray. *We recommend leaving the lion's mane mushrooms whole, as this helps create a juicy, meaty, steak-like texture.

   Equipment: cast iron skillet, grill press, tea towel, roasting tray

4. Bake mushrooms in oven

   13 min

   Place the roasting tray with searred lion's mane mushrooms in the top shelf of the oven, and bake for 10-15 minutes. If the baby potatoes are ready before the mushrooms, cover them with a sheet of aluminium foil to prevent further browning, or remove them from the oven and cover to keep warm.

   Equipment: oven, roasting tray, aluminium foil

5. Slice, dress, and plate

   5 min

   You can serve the lion's mane 'steaks' whole on each plate, or slice them on a chopping board, then serve (as shown in the image). If you like, you can toss the watercress in a little chimichurri dressing , before drizzling the remainder over the steaks. Serve up the roasted baby potatoes , a handful of watercress and a dollop of béarnaise sauce on the side. Enjoy!

   Equipment: chopping board, knife, plates