Wednesday 29 February 2012

Portobello Bello!

Fungo Portabello al Forno
Oven-Baked Portabello Rarebit



Oh, those big, beautiful Portobello mushrooms! Compare them to your regular common or garden mushrooms and it is like King Kong meets Fay Wray. The blonde may have been cute- but it was the big guy we were all rooting for, right?

So I decided to make a quick, easy snack tonight- I knew it wouldn't quite make a full meal- but it almost did! Yes these things are yummy and satisfying and always a whole lot of fun- I combined this one with a yummy topping and a base of pitta which I covered with tomato and Ajvar... and it was pretty delicious, I must say!


Okay- I said this thing was oven-baked, but I did cheat a little and there was a little pre-cooking on the stove... but I am sure you will excuse me that little descriptive faux pas. I started out by frying a little finely chopped bacon in a dry pan. Once it was very lightly browned I removed it and fried the mushroom for 2-3 minutes on each side, just to give it a little head start. But that was all of the cheating... promise!

For the topping I made a mix of 1 egg, I finely chopped Spring onion, 1 tablespoon of grated salted ricotta cheese, the bacon bits, some finely chopped bacon and enough breadcrumbs to make it into a soft paste- these also went to give the topping a nice crispy texture.

So, now to put our snack together! Stir a little Ajvar together with a tablespoon of canned pizza tomatoes, season with salt and pepper and spread the pitta bread with it. Now set the mushroom on top and spoon on the topping. Sprinkle with a little chopped salted ricotta, drizzle lightly with olive oil and bake at a moderate heat for 10-15 minutes, or until the bread and the topping begin to brown. Serve with some finely chopped chives and freshly ground pepper and enjoy your big little snack!

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