Giusto Gusto

A mushroom poem:

Oh earthy shroom, with your amber gills and granite hood, you are a blank canvas for my gluttonous desires. A heady vessel willing and able to contain any terrifyingly delicious gastronomic combination I so desire. Born of the dirt and silt, you’re neither regal nor intimidating exhumed after a mornings mist and suns first warmth. Delicious zombie of spring, your fleeting existence on this wobbly rock will not be taken for granted, stuff you I must:

Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms (Portobelli Ripieni)
serves 2

2 Large Portobello Mushrooms
1 Cup Fresh Breadcrumbs
1 Bunch Spring Onions (or one large onion)
1/2 Cup Artichoke Hearts
1/4 Cup Pecorino or Parmiggiano Cheese
2 1/4″ Thick Slices of Sopresatta or Hard Salami
1 Egg
Zest of 1 Lemon
Salt, Pepper, E.V. Olive Oil

It looks like a lot of ingredients, and maybe it is, but the cooking for this recipe is dead simple. First step is to deconstruct all of your stuffing items:

Dice your salami into 1/4″ cubes. Roughly dice your onion.  Roughly chop the artichokes and toss some crusty bread into a food pro to make your breadcrumbs.

For the mushrooms, simple remove the stem and gills with a spoon and chop roughly.

Next, sauté your onions on med-high heat with olive oil until soft and light browned. Add the artichokes and cook until soft. Add the chopped mushroom gills/stem and cook until soft. Finally, add the breadcrumbs and toast lightly with the onions, artichokes and mushrooms. Remove and allow to cool.

Once the mixture is cool, add your egg, cheese, lemon zest, salami and salt and pepper to taste.

Place your hollowed-out portobello tops in a baking pan and drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Fill each portobello with a generous amount of the stuff, lightly pressing the mixture so it does not crumble out of the mushroom top. Top each stuffed mushroom with grated Pecorino or Parm and a last drizzle of olive oil.

Bake on 450 F for 5-10 minutes or until the portobellow is soft and the exterior of the stuffing is golden brown. Finish with chopped parsley or mint and serve either hot or room temperature, both are great.

Waxing poetic on the simple joy of stuffed mushrooms seemed appropriate for this stellar recipe I’ve been working on over the past few weeks. And, as I exclaimed so affectionately above, stuffed mushrooms are an exceptional vessel for any and all flavor combinations, just so long as your flavors and stuffing-to-mushroom ratio are balanced. Remember, our shroomy friend is the real hero, the stuffing is merely his bi-curious partner in justice. Happy grubbing!

SPARK NOTES: 1.DICE UP & COOK SOME STUFF 2.FILL YOUR MUSHROOMS 3.BAKE AND CONSUME