Admittedly, when I first laid eyes on this recipe for “Honey-Glazed Mushrooms with Udon,” I was initially a little skeptical.

Mushrooms with honey? Really?

But James Beard Award-winning cookbook author Hetty Lui McKinnon has never steered me wrong in any of her other recipes that I’ve made.

Ditto for this one. Not only was this recipe quick and effortless, but it showed me just how honey could further deepen the caramelized taste of sauteed mushrooms.

First published in the New York Times, this recipe calls for boiling frozen or fresh udon noodles, then rinsing well to remove excess starch.

Next, stir-fry the mushrooms in a wok until they release a lot of liquid, which will then mostly evaporate as they continue to cook, concentrating their earthy flavor. Add in chopped garlic, honey, and butter. Finally, add the udon noodles, shredded Napa cabbage, and a splash of soy sauce. Turn off the heat, and add a smidge more honey and butter, along with scallions and sesame seeds.

Lui McKinnon states the recipe serves 4, but if you have an ample appetite like my husband, then it probably serves more like 3.

For the honey in this recipe, I used a sample of Some Honey Cranberry Honey. This Wisconsin company sells raw, unfiltered, USDA Grade A honey from bees that that collect nectar from a variety of flowering plants.

In this case, from cranberry shrubs. That doesn’t mean one taste of this honey will immediately make you think of cranberry sauce on Thanksgiving turkey. It’s much more subtle, with this honey having a fruity, almost berry-like note. It also has more depth and less in-your-face sweetness, but rather almost a touch of savoriness.

The Some Honey Orange Honey, which I also tried, has an orange blossom-like taste, and is brighter and more floral than the cranberry one. It would be amazing on duck or stir-fried chicken, baked into a cake, or drizzled on custard.

Find Some Honey ($9.99 for each 16-ounce bottle) at Albertsons.

The cranberry honey’s full flavor was ideal on the mushrooms and udon without tasting overly sweet. In fact, I think most teriyaki sauces are far sweeter than this. Instead, the soy sauce balances it out nicely with its saltiness, and the butter tames the sweetness further by coating it in fat.

Think of a less salty, and milder tasting oyster sauce coating chewy, chubby noodles, and you get the sense of what this dish tastes like.

Give it a try — and learn just how surprisingly wonderful mushrooms with honey truly can be.

Honey-Glazed Mushrooms with Udon

(Serves 3 to 4)

Kosher salt (Diamond Crystal)

1½ pounds frozen or fresh udon noodles (vacuum-sealed)

2 tablespoons neutral oil, such as vegetable or grapeseed

1 pound cremini mushrooms, stemmed and sliced into ¼-inch pieces

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

Black pepper

3 tablespoons honey

4 tablespoons butter, preferably salted (see Tip)

½ small head Napa cabbage, finely sliced (about 1 pound)

3 tablespoons soy sauce

2 scallions, finely sliced

1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the udon noodles and cook for about 2 minutes, using wooden chopsticks or tongs to gently loosen the noodles from their tight bundle. Drain, rinse with cold water and leave to continue draining while you prepare the remaining ingredients.

Heat a wok or large (12-inch) skillet on medium-high, until very hot. Add oil and mushrooms, and stir-fry for 7 to 8 minutes, leaving undisturbed for 30 seconds to 1 minute at a time, to allow them to caramelize. (Be patient: They will release a lot of liquid, then start to brown.) Add the garlic, ½ teaspoon salt and a few turns of black pepper. Drizzle the mushrooms with 2 tablespoons of honey, then add 3 tablespoons of butter and toss.

Add the udon noodles, Napa cabbage and soy sauce to the pan, then toss for 2 minutes, until the cabbage is wilted and everything is well combined. Remove from the heat and add the remaining 1 tablespoon honey and 1 tablespoon butter. Taste and season with more salt and black pepper, if required. To serve, scatter with scallions and sesame seeds.

Tip: If using unsalted butter, add an additional ¼ teaspoon of salt when stir-frying the garlic.

Adapted from Hetty Lui McKinnon’s recipe in the New York Times

More Hetty Lui McKinnon Recipes to Enjoy: Steamed Tofu and Trumpet Mushrooms with Ginger, Scallion and Soy

And: Flourless Soy Sauce Brownies

And: Miso Brown Butter and Crispy Sage Pasta

And: Salt and Pepper Tater Tots