Stuffing mushrooms is not an onerous task and the result is delicious.
To make the filling very finely dice 1 small onion, 1 small carrot, 1 stick of celery and the stems of your mushrooms. I used Portobello mushrooms because they’re satisfyingly large and have a good edge to hold the filling. Gently fry the vegetables in some olive oil until the onions are translucent and the vegetables are soft. Deglaze with a splash of white wine, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and if you have some powdered porcini mushrooms add some for extra mushroom flavour. Remove the mixture to a small bowl and add 80g (2¾ oz) of plain soft goat cheese (chèvre) and ½ a cup of panko breadcrumbs. Use this mixture to stuff the mushrooms – be generous. Heat some oil in a fry pan and gently cook the bottom of the mushrooms. The idea is to soften the mushrooms and just brown the bottom a little. When they are visibly soft and browning, preheat your grill to high. Drizzle the top of the mushrooms with a little more olive oil and place them under the grill. Cook until golden brown.
michelle picker cooks 