Fancy a Valentine’s dinner of a different kind? if you aren’t fans of dining out on this special occasion, there’s nothing stopping you from braaing for your loved one using some of these amazing recipes from The South African Mushroom Farmers’ Association.
BACON-WRAPPED, STUFFED PORTABELLINIS
Serves 4-6 as a snack
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Difficulty: Worth the effort
Ingredients
12 whole fresh Portabellini mushrooms, cleaned and stems removed
1tbsp olive oil, plus extra for brushing
½ medium onion, finely chopped
150g boerewors, casing removed (or use pork bangers or other sausage of your choice)
2 pitted prunes, soaked in Port, Earl Grey tea or juice overnight (just enough to cover prunes in a cup)
handful flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
12 rashers streaky bacon or macon
12 toothpicks, soaked in water for 30 minutes
Method
1 Finely chop the mushroom stems. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan, add the onion and mushroom stems, and fry over a high heat for 5 minutes, until golden.
2 Crumble the sausage meat into the pan and keep frying, stirring often, until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Finely chop the prunes and add to the pan along with the soaking liquid. Heat through for 1 minute. Season to taste, stir through the parsley and remove from the heat.
3 Gently stuff each Portabellini cap with the meat mixture, wrap with a slice of bacon and secure with a toothpick.
4 Brush with olive oil and braai, turning often, until the bacon is crisp and cooked through. Serve immediately.
GARLIC BUTTER BUTTON MUSHROOM ARMADILLOS
Serves 4-6 as a side dish
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Difficulty: Takes a bit of effort
Ingredients
50g best-quality butter at room temperature
3 cloves garlic, crushed
handful soft herbs (parsley, coriander, chervil, chives etc), finely chopped
¼tsp chilli flakes or finely chopped fresh chilli to taste (optional)
500g large whole Button mushrooms, stalks removed
4 long wooden skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes
Method
1 Mix together the butter, garlic, herbs and chilli, if using.
2 Fill the mushrooms with the butter and thread them onto the skewers, packing them tightly together so the filling isn’t lost during cooking.
3 Place over a hot braai, turning often, to allow the mushrooms to get grill marks, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a double foil “boat” if you’d like to cook further and are losing butter to the flames. Serve in place of garlic bread.
GARLIC AND GINGER PORTOBELLO (BIG BROWN) “STEAKS” WITH KIMCHI MAYONNAISE
Serves 2-4
Preparation time: 10 minutes + marinating
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients
2tbsp brown sugar
3tbsp soy sauce
1tbsp mirin, sake or rice wine
3 cloves garlic, crushed
3tbsp spring onion, while part only, finely chopped
1tbsp ginger, freshly minced or good store-bought prepared
2tsp toasted sesame oil
4 fresh Portobello (big brown) mushrooms, cleaned
1 cup good-quality mayonnaise
1-2tbsp best-quality kimchi, chopped (see below)
Method
1 In a large ziplock bag, combine the sugar, soy, mirin, garlic, spring onion, ginger and sesame oil. Shake to combine, add the mushrooms and allow to marinate for 30 minutes.
2 Meanwhile, mix the mayonnaise and kimchi. Refrigerate.
3 Grill the mushrooms on a medium-hot braai, turning once, about 10 minutes. Serve each “steak” with a dollop of kimchi mayonnaise on top.
What is kimchi?
Kimchi is a delicious Korean spicy vegetable pickle – most often made from cabbage. It has a unique, bright, fresh flavour and tingling spiciness that will makes these mushroom steaks absolutely zing! Find it in the fridges at good supermarkets, delis and health food shops, or make your own.
* Not your thing? Replace with any chilli sauce you like.
BRAAIED PORTOBELLO (BIG BROWN) EGG CUPS
Serves 4
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 14 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients
4 large Portobello (big brown) mushrooms, cleaned and stalks removed (see optional extras below)
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
4 eggs
Optional Extras
* Grilled bacon
* Wilted garlic spinach – chop the mushroom stalks removed from the Portobello (big brown) mushrooms above and sauté in olive oil and butter until browned. Add a clove of crushed garlic, cook for 30 seconds, then add a washed 200g bag of baby spinach leaves. Cook, stirring often, until wilted.
* Salad of diced tomato, cucumber, peppers and coriander in a vinaigrette made from 1tbsp fresh lime juice and 3tbsp extra virgin olive oil, seasoned to taste.
Method
1 Rub the Portobellos with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. Place on a medium-hot braai, gill-side down, and cook for 5-7 minutes.
2 Flip the mushrooms and then carefully break an egg into each. Allow to cook for another 5-7 minutes, until mushrooms have grill marks and eggs are cooked to your liking.
3 Serve topped with grilled bacon, wilted garlic spinach or salad, if you like.
TANDOORI MUSHROOMS
Serves 2-4
Preparation time: 15 minutes + marinade
Cooking time: 12 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients
1tsp ground coriander
1tsp ground cumin
1tsp turmeric
1tsp paprika
½tsp chilli powder or cayenne pepper
1tsp salt
1 clove garlic, crushed
1½tsp ginger, freshly grated or good store-bought prepared
150g plain yoghurt
500g fresh Button or Portabellini mushrooms, cleaned
4 wooden skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes
2 green peppers, cut into 2,5cm squares
1 onion, cut into 2cm petals
olive oil
handful coriander leaves
1 lemon, cut into wedges
Method
1 In a large ziplock bag, combine ground coriander, cumin, turmeric, paprika, chilli or cayenne, salt, garlic, ginger and yoghurt. Mix thoroughly.
2 Add mushrooms, making sure they are coated with the marinade. Set aside for 30 minutes – 1 hour.
3 Thread onto skewers, interleaving with green pepper squares and onion petals. Brush green pepper and onion with olive oil and braai the skewers, turning often, until done to your liking, about 12 minutes.
4 Serve with coriander leaves and lemon wedges.
BRAAIED MUSHROOM CAPRESE STACKS
Serves 4
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients
4 large fresh Portobello (big brown) mushrooms, cleaned
olive oil
salt and pepper
4 slices from a large fresh tomato
2tbsp basil pesto
4 large slices Mozzarella cheese, at room temperature
Method
1 Rub the Portobellos with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. Place on a medium-hot braai, gill-side down, and cook for 5-7 minutes.
2 Flip the mushrooms and top each with a slice of tomato, ½tbsp basil pesto and then a slice of cheese. Cook until mushrooms have grill marks and cheese has melted, another 5-7 minutes. (Use a metal cloche/cover to help melt the cheese, if needed.)
ORIENTAL MUSHROOM TACOS
Serves 4
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Difficulty: Takes a bit of effort
Ingredients
4 fresh Portobello (big brown) mushrooms, cleaned, or 500g Button or Portabellini mushrooms, cleaned and threaded onto wooden skewers that have been soaked in water for 30 minutes
3tbsp Korean barbecue marinade (available at Woolworths), or other barbecue marinade of your choice
1 baby cabbage, finely shredded
1 carrot, grated
¼ red onion, finely sliced
1tsp wasabi
6tbsp good quality mayonnaise
4 soft tacos (any flat-bread will work)
½ avocado, sliced
handful coriander leaves
lemon wedges, grilled on the braai until caramelized, about 5 minutes
Method
1 Brush the mushrooms with the barbecue marinade and place straight onto a medium-hot braai, basting with more barbecue sauce as you go, and turning until mushrooms are cooked through, about 10 minutes.
2 Meanwhile, combine the cabbage, carrot, onion, wasabi and mayonnaise.
3 Toast soft tacos on the braai, a couple of seconds on each side.
4 Remove mushrooms from the braai, slice into thick strips, and divide between tacos. Top with slaw, avocado and coriander. Serve immediately with grilled lemon wedges.
FIRE ROASTED MUSHROOM, LETTUCE AND TOMATO ROOSTERKOEK
Serves 4
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients
4 large Portobello (big brown) mushrooms, cleaned
olive oil
seasoning of your choice, eg oregano and cumin, Italian herbs or peri-peri
4 freshly made roosterkoek or store-bought rolls (even lovely sliced bread), sliced open and lightly toasted on the braai
good butter
4 large lettuce leaves
1 large tomato, sliced into 4
good quality store-bought mayonnaise or sriracha mayonnaise
salt and pepper
Method
1 Brush mushrooms with olive oil and season as desired. Braai over medium-hot coals, turning, until mushrooms have grill marks and are cooked through, about 10 minutes.
2 Slice open still-warm roosterkoek, spread with butter and layer with the mushrooms, lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise, salt and pepper.
NOTE: you can use Portabellini or Button mushrooms for this recipe, just place on soaked skewers to braai and cut in half before adding to the sandwiches.
