Cooking Class with Chef Ivan Flowers - Lesson 47 Stuffed Mushrooms

In the last class you learned how to make a luscious butternut squash soup. This week I wanted to teach you a classic appetizer, the stuffed mushroom. I love stuffed mushrooms. They are meaty, savory, full of umami and there are so many variations. These mushrooms are great as an appetizer, but I also like to serve them as a fun side dish with steak or roast.

Before I get into the recipe, I want to talk a little about the wrong way to make a stuffed mushroom. I believe it is the reason some people may think they don’t like them. What is it? Putting the stuffing into a raw mushroom. This will ruin the entire dish. When this is done, the mushroom is dry, wrinkly and flavorless. By marinating and cooking the mushroom BEFORE stuffing it, you create another level of deliciousness. Think about it, if you served a delicious piece of triple crème brie on a piece of cardboard, the brie would no longer taste good. The same goes for stuffing a mushroom, you want the mushroom to be just as flavorful as the stuffing.

Now, let’s get cooking!

This recipe will serve four to six. You will need:

• Baking sheet
• two large bowls
• large sauté pan
• whisk
• two pounds large white button mushrooms
• three minced shallots
• three 1/2 ounces of Boursin
• eight ounces of shredded mozzarella
• one ½ cup Panko bread crumbs
• ¼ pound unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon granulated garlic
• one tablespoon minced fresh thyme
• juice of two lemons
• two tablespoons lemon zest
• ¾ cup chardonnay
• one tablespoon sweet chili sauce
• ½ cup balsamic vinegar
• ½ cup olive oil
• salt
• ½ cup grated Parmesan
• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Remove the stems from the mushrooms and reserve for later use. In a large bowl whisk together the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, juice of 1 lemon, dash of salt and a dash of pepper. Toss the mushrooms in the marinade and let sit for 20 minutes. By doing this you are infusing that mushroom with lots of flavor. After 2o minutes, remove the mushrooms and put open side up on a baking sheet. Spoon the marinade over the mushrooms and cook for 20 minutes.

While the mushrooms are cooking, you can start to prepare the stuffing. First, remove any woody parts from the reserved mushroom stems. Then finely chop them. You will want to use two cups of the chopped mushroom stems. Next, place your sauté pan over medium-high heat and add in the unsalted butter. Remember, you use unsalted butter so you are in control of seasoning the dish. Once the butter is melted, add in the shallots and mushroom stems. Cook for about ten minutes, until the veggies are soft.

Now, add in the chardonnay and let it reduce by half. Once reduced, lower your heat to medium and add in the Panko bread crumbs. Cook for six minutes more, stirring occasionally. I like Panko bread crumbs because they are larger and have more of a bite to them which creates a nice mouth feel. You cook the bread crumbs with the butter, shallot, wine and mushrooms because you want to allow them to soak up all those wonderful flavors. Remember, you want to build flavors at every step of a dish. Doing this creates delicious.

After cooking, put the mixture in a bowl and refrigerate uncovered for 20 minutes. You cool this down so when you mix the cheeses in, they don’t all melt and become soupy.

At this point, your mushrooms should be done. Remove them from the oven, leaving the oven at 350, and turn them over so they are open side down. This will allow all the wonderful mushroom jus to collect on the baking sheet. You will use this later in the stuffing. Let the mushrooms cool for ten minutes. Next, remove chilled breadcrumb mixture from the fridge. Add into this mixture: Boursin, mozzarella, garlic, thyme, juice of one lemon, lemon zest and sweet chili. Mix together and then salt and pepper to taste. Now add in the reserved mushroom juice and combine it with the stuffing. Next, using a teaspoon, spoon the stuffing into the cavity of the mushrooms and place them stuffing side up on a baking sheet. Once they are stuffed, sprinkle the tops with Parmesan. Bake in the 350 degree oven for 20 minutes, until the Parmesan is golden brown. That’s it, fabulously delicious stuffed mushrooms!

Now that you have the technique, you can make so many variations. Add Italian sausage or bacon to the stuffing mix (just make sure to drain all the fat). Use rosemary or basil instead of the thyme. Change out the Boursin for cream cheese and substitute Gruyere for the mozzarella.

Have fun and remember, as with any technique or recipe, the most important component is the cook’s heart. The heart is what helps you create delicious meals you’ll never forget.