Het Paa Naam Tok (Isaan-style Forest Mushroom Salad)

Ingredients

• 0.3 cup cilantro leaves packed coarsely chopped thin ( stems and leaves)
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar 
• 2 servings pepper black freshly ground
• 2 tablespoons lemon grass thinly sliced (tender parts only)
• 1.5 tablespoons meyer lemon juice with a small tablespoon of meyer lemon juice)
• 0.3 cup mint leaves packed coarsely chopped (the smaller the better)
• 10 ounces mushrooms wild mixed trimmed halved (such as oyster, king oyster, cremini, and/or mushrooms) (trimmings reserved; see NOTE)
• 1 ounce onion red with the grain ( 1/4 cup, lightly packed) peeled halved lengthwise thinly sliced
• 1.5 tablespoons soya sauce thin
• 1 tablespoon veggie broth homemade (purchased or ; see NOTE)
• 2 servings vegetable oil generous

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• pot
• grill
• wok
• grill pan
• cutting board

Directions

1. COOK THE MUSHROOMS
2. Prepare a grill, preferably charcoal, to cook with medium heat. Or preheat a grill pan or heavy skillet over medium heat.
3. Toss the mushrooms in a bowl along with just enough oil to lightly coat them. Season generously with salt and pepper and toss again. Grill the mushrooms, turning them over occasionally, until they're cooked through and deep golden brown in spots, 5 to 10 minutes, depending on the size of the mushrooms, transferring them as they're cooked to a cutting board.
4. Cut any large mushrooms into bite-size slices, about 1/2 inch thick. Leave any small mushrooms whole. You should have about 1 cup of chopped, cooked mushrooms.
5. Let them cool slightly as you make the dressing.
6. MAKE THE DRESSING
7. Combine the lime juice, soy sauce, mushroom stock, sugar, chile powder, and lemongrass in a wok or medium pan, set it over medium heat, and heat the mixture just until it's warm to the touch, 15 seconds or so. Turn off the heat.
8. ASSEMBLE THE SALAD
9. Add the mushrooms to the pan along with the shallots, mint, cilantro, and rice powder, toss well, and transfer to a plate in a low heap so that most of the herbs end up near the top.
10. Sprinkle on another pinch or two of rice powder, and serve.
11. Note
12. If you'd like, briefly grill the mushroom trimmings, put them in a pot with enough water to cover, and simmer for 15 minutes or so. Spoon out 1 tablespoon of the liquid for the dressing.
13. Whiskey Soda Lounge, Pok Pok Noi, and Sen Yai in Portland, plus Pok Pok Ny and
14. Whiskey Soda Lounge Ny in New York City. The winner of a 2011 James Beard Award for Best Chef Northwest, Andy splits his time between Chiang Mai, Thailand; New York City; and Portland, Oregon.JJ GOODE is a Brooklyn-based food writer, and the coauthor of the books A Girl and Her Pig with April Bloomfield, Morimoto with Masaharu Morimoto, and Truly Mexican with Roberto Santibañez.