Mushrooms Baked with Ham & Parmesan
Introduction
Serves: Makes 8 burgers or 16 sliders
Ingredients
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
1 large clove garlic, peeled and crushed
⅓ cup cream
1 Tbsp finely chopped parsley
1 Tbsp snipped chives
1 tsp chopped marjoram (optional)
1 large egg yolk
100g (3-4 ounces) ham, rind removed and finely chopped
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs or panko crumbs
¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp butter
Method
1 Wipe mushrooms clean with a damp cloth. Set two mushrooms aside. Cut out the stalks of the remaining mushrooms and chop finely with the two whole mushrooms. Transfer to a bowl and add ½-¾ teaspoon of salt (depending on saltiness of ham), some black pepper, garlic, cream, parsley, chives and marjoram, if using. Add egg yolk, ham and breadcrumbs.
2 Sprinkle insides of mushrooms with a little salt and grind over some black pepper. Divide mixture between mushrooms, spreading it on with a knife. Put mushrooms in a shallow roasting tin lined with baking (parchment) paper), sprinkle with parmesan and dot with butter.
3 Bake for about 25 minutes in an oven preheated to 180°C (350°) or until golden on top. Serve hot.
To make Ilaria’s cream and butter-free mushroom stuffing, mix plenty of chopped mushrooms and stalks with salt, pepper, garlic, parsley, chives and marjoram. Add egg yolk and a little olive oil to bind. Stuff into mushrooms and scatter with grated parmesan cheese. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil before baking. Yep, while she doesn’t go for butter or cream, eggs are cool, and she can’t get enough parmesan!