Parsley and Breadcrumbs Mushrooms
By Adriana Zanchi
Parsley is such a fun and versatile plant, I always like to have some in the house, either fresh or frozen. Hailing from an island in the lagoon of Venice, I grew up eating lots of fish, and parsley was one of the main herbs my family would use when preparing “pasta con le vongole”, fish risotto, grilled bream, baked scallops, I could continue… It’s also an important ingredient in vegetarian dishes like “risi e bisi”, mushroom risotto, or steamed artichoke bottoms.
Ingredients (serves 2 people)
6 flat mushrooms (large chestnut mushrooms work well for this dish)
2 spring onions
1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil plus for drizzling
A couple of sprigs of parsley
2 tablespoons white breadcrumbs
1 egg, lightly beaten
20 g Parmesan cheese, grated
Black pepper
Salt to taste
Method
Clean your mushrooms from any dirt using a dry cloth or a mushroom brush. Remove their stalks and chop them very finely or grate them on the coarse side of a box grater; set the caps aside.
Trim and finely chop the spring onions, set aside the greener tops while you gently cook the white bottom part in a frying pan with a bit of olive oil. After a couple of minutes add the garlic and stir. Add the mushroom stalks and cook, for about five minutes. Add salt and black pepper to taste.
Wash and dry a couple of sprigs of parsley, finely chop the leaves and keep the stems to make stock (they freeze well!). In a large bowl combine the parsley with the trimmed spring onion tops, the breadcrumbs, the mushroom mixture and a lightly beaten egg. Adjust salt and pepper.
Drizzle a bit of olive oil in an oven dish, arrange the mushroom caps and then scoop the stuffing in each cap, pressing it down so it fills evenly. Sprinkle the stuffing with a bit of grated Parmigiano and a drizzle of olive oil.
Bake in the oven at 200°C (180°C fan) for about 20 minutes, until the stuffing is golden brown and crispy.
