Not Soggy
Crunchy Stuffed Mushrooms with Cheese & Thyme
Get the nosh table ready, it’s time for another addictive little bite! (If you have no idea what I’m talking about, please see my last newsletter here).
I have made a million stuffed mushrooms in my life and they are never BAD. But recently, I’ve been less-than-thrilled with the soggy texture of my usual recipe. After some testing and searching for insights, the answer presented itself: roast the mushrooms empty first so that they release most of their water before they’re stuffed! It works like a dream, resulting in deep caramelized mushroom flavor, soft-but-not-rubbery texture, and most importantly, super crunchy filling.
Crunchy Stuffed Mushrooms with Cheese & Thyme
Consider this recipe a blueprint for your creative madness. Instead of an aged gouda, you could easily use comte or gruyere. You might have fresh breadcrumbs, which would result in a slightly moister filling. You might use hazelnuts or walnuts instead of pistachios or replace them entirely with a little Italian sausage, cooked until crispy. If you make the recipe as written, the savory filling will be intensely crunchy, an exciting contrast against the softer, moister mushroom beneath it.
Ingredients:
12 large white button or cremini mushrooms
1 shallot
2 cloves garlic
3 tbsp butter
1/4 cup pistachios, finely chopped
1/2 cup panko or plain breadcrumbs
4 sprigs thyme, picked from stem
1/2 cup firm or semi-firm cheese like aged gouda or parmiggiano, finely grated
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Zest from 1 lemon
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Use a dry paper towel or cloth to brush off any visible dirt from the mushrooms and remove the stems, setting them aside. Oil up your hands with olive oil and rub the mushrooms all over. They will likely absorb the oil very quickly. Sprinkle them with salt and place them on a baking sheet, stem-side down. Roast them in the oven for 15 minutes until they have released much of their water and are golden brown. If your mushrooms are small, you may need to adjust the time.
Meanwhile, place the raw stems of the mushrooms in a food processor and pulse until they are finely minced. Transfer them to a bowl. Add the shallot and garlic cloves to the food processor and pulse until minced. Add to the reserved mushroom mince. If you want, you can also wipe out the food processor and use it to chop the pistachios at this time.
Melt the butter in a small frying pan over medium heat until melted, then add the mushrooms, shallots and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Add one of the sprigs of thyme and continue cooking on medium until the mixture is golden brown and caramelized. Transfer to a bowl.
Combine the mushroom/shallot mixture with the chopped pistachios, breadcrumbs, grated cheese and remaining thyme and mix thoroughly with your hands until the breadcrumbs are saturated with moisture. The mixture should hold together when squeezed. If it does not, add a small glug of olive oil to add more moisture. Give it a taste for salt and pepper.
Using your hands to squeeze the breadcrumb mixture into tight balls, stuff the mushrooms with about 1 tbsp of the filling each. Drizzle generously with olive oil and return to the oven for 10 minutes until golden brown and crispy on top. Plate and garnish with lemon zest and more thyme leaves.
Currently:
Currently reading: Plant Spirit Medicine, a mind-expanding look at shamanism and spiritual healing traditions given to me by my brother.
Currently eating with my morning coffee: Tarte tatin with apples from my mom’s garden. I winged it, but this recipe looks very similar.
Currently cooking: Recipes from this new cookbook from Ottolenghi and crew. Lots of yummy ideas inside—would make a great holiday gift for the chef in your life.
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