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Leeks
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Audit, Lisa
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Mushrooms
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Old Books I
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Belkovskij, Igor
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La Belle Cuisine

IACP Cookbook Award Winner

Single Subject

(Cookbooks that focus on specific foods, cooking
methods, techniques or appliances)
 

Martha Stewart's
Hors d'Oeuvres Handbook
by Martha Stewart, 1999, Random House

Stuffed Mushrooms

Stuffed Mushrooms, often filled with a mixture of crabmeat and bread crumbs,
are perhaps one of the most familiar and best-loved hors d'oeuvres - and for
good reason. They are perfectly shaped, charming containers for all kinds of
interesting fillings, and their woodsy undertone is just subtle enough to gently
flavor whatever they are carrying. For perfect stuffed mushrooms, choose the freshest white mushrooms you can find, free of blemishes and about the size
of a silver dollar in diameter. Serve them hot.

Leek, Fennel, and Goat Cheese
Stuffed Mushrooms
Makes 2 Dozen

Fennel, also called anise, has a slight licorice flavor. Fennel bulbs
vary greatly in size, depending on the season. Buy a very small bulb,
about 1 pound, for this recipe.

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/4 of a small fennel bulb, trimmed, thinly shaved
on a mandoline, and roughly chopped
1 small leek, white and light green parts, cut into
1-inch pieces, well washed
3/4 teaspoon ground coriander
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
4 ounces fresh goat cheese
1 recipe Golden Mushroom Caps (see below)

1. Heat the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the
fennel and the leeks and cook until softened, 5 to 8 minutes. Add
the coriander and season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer
to a large plate to cool. Reserve 2 tablespoons for garnish.
2. Heat the oven to broil with the rack in the center. Mash the goat
cheese into the leek-fennel mixture until well combined. Use a small
spoon to fill each mushroom cap with the filling. Place the caps on
a baking sheet and broil until hot throughout, about 1 minute.
Garnish each with a bit of the reserved leek-fennel mixture.
Serve hot.

Broccoli Rabe and Pancetta Stuffed Mushrooms
Makes 2 Dozen

Broccoli rabe, also referred to as broccoli di rape, is a pleasantly bitter,
leafy cousin to broccoli. I especially like it combined with pancetta, an
assertively flavored Italian bacon cured with salt and spices that is
generally available in the deli section of the grocery store.

1 ounce sliced pancetta or bacon,
cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 medium shallot, minced
1 recipe Golden Mushroom Caps (see below)
with stems reserved, cleaned and
finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons dry white wine
1 pound broccoli rabe, trimmed to leaves
and florets only, roughly chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh thyme

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F with the rack in the upper
position. Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the
pancetta and cook until beginning to crisp, 4 to 6 minutes. Reduce
the heat to medium and add the shallots. Cook until softened and
translucent. Add the mushroom stems and the garlic and cook for
3 more minutes. Add the wine and the broccoli rabe, cover, and
let steam for 4 minutes, until the broccoli rabe is bright green.
Remove the cover and cook until the liquid has evaporated, 1
to 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove
from the heat.
2. Using a small spoon, fill each mushroom cap with the filling.
Place the caps on a baking sheet. Bake until the mushrooms
are hot throughout, 2 to 4 minutes. Garnish with the thyme
and serve hot.

Polenta Stuffed Mushrooms
Makes 2 Dozen

Pecorino-Romano is an aged Italian sheep's-milk cheese with a
sharp, intense flavor. It is worth searching out this cheese, but if
you can't locate it, you can use Parmesan cheese.

1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons milk
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme
1/4 cup quick-cooking polenta
1 ounce Pecorino Romano cheese, grated on
the small holes of a box grater to yield 1/2 cup
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 recipe Golden Mushroom Caps (see below)

1. Heat the oven to broil with the rack in the upper position. Mean-
while, place 1/2 cup of the milk, 1/2 cup of water, the salt, and
1/2 teaspoon of the thyme in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil.
Slowly pour in the polenta, whisking constantly. Cook, stirring,
about 2 minutes, until the polenta thickens. Stir in all but 2 table-
spoons of the cheese, the remaining milk, and the butter.
2. Using a small spoon, quickly spoon the polenta into the mushroom
caps. Garnish each cap with the remaining cheese. Place the caps
on a baking sheet. Broil until the cheese is golden, about 1 minute.
Garnish with the remaining thyme. Serve hot.

Porcini Stuffed Mushrooms with Camembert
Makes 2 Dozen

Porcinis, also known as cèpes, are among my favorite wild mushrooms.
They are available fresh in late spring or autumn and dried year-round.
When using dried, rehydrate them before incorporating into the recipe.

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 recipe Golden Mushroom Caps (see below)
with stems reserved, cleaned, and roughly chopped
1 small shallot, minced
4 ounces fresh porcini mushrooms, roughly
chopped (or 1 ounce dried porcini, rehydrated,
plus 3 ounces white button mushrooms)
2 tablespoons dry white wine
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 ounces Camembert cheese

1. Heat the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the mush-
room stems and shallots and cook until the shallots are translucent, 2
to 4 minutes. Add the white wine, scraping up any bits that may be
on the bottom of the pan, and cook until the wine has evaporated, 1
to 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and remove from
the heat.
2. Heat the oven to broil with the rack in the center. Use a small spoon
to fill each mushroom cap with the filling. Place the caps on a
baking sheet and set aside.
3. Slice the Camembert into 24 small pieces, each slice just large enough
to cover about half of the filling. Set aside. Broil the filled mushroom
caps until hot throughout, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove and place a cheese
slice on each mushroom. Serve hot.

Golden Mushroom Caps
Makes 2 Dozen

Roasting mushroom caps at high heat brings out their inherent deep
flavor, so they taste much better when stuffed. Buy mushrooms with
caps small enough to eat in one bite, about 1/4 inches in diameter. If
you use larger mushroom caps, buy fewer, or there will not be enough
filling to stuff them.

24 small button mushrooms
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. remove the stems from the
mushrooms and reserve if they are used in the filling. Use a damp
cloth or mushroom brush to clean the mushrooms. Brush each
mushroom with the olive oil . Add salt and pepper to taste.
2. Place the mushrooms, cap-side up, on a baking sheet. roast until
the mushrooms are golden and their liquid begins to seep from
the cavity, 6 to 7 minutes. Place cap-side up on paper towels
to drain. The mushroom caps can be stored in an air-tight
container for up to 4 hours.


*****

Jicama and Green Papaya Summer Rolls

Makes about 2 Dozen

1 ounce rice vermicelli noodles
6  8 1/2-inch Vietnamese dried rice spring roll wrappers
8 leaves Bibb lettuce, torn into smaller pieces, ribs removed
Peanut Dipping Sauce (see below)

1. In a small saucepan, combine the vinegar, sugar, and 1 teaspoon of
the salt. Cook, stirring, over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, 1
to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat. Set aside and let cool completely.
2. Slice the cucumber lengthwise using a mandoline or a chef's knife into
long 1/8-inch-thick strips. Cut each strip lengthwise into 1/8-inch-wide
pieces. Slice the carrot and the jicama lengthwise in the same way.
Reserve. Cut the papaya lengthwise into 1/8-inch-wide pieces. In a
large bowl, combine the cucumber, carrot, jicama, and papaya. Toss
gently with the reserved vinegar mixture, lemon juice, and cilantro.
Set aside.
3. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add the canola oil, noodles,
and the remaining teaspoon of salt. Boil until the noodles are tender,
about 2 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water. Leave the noodles
in cool water until ready to use, so they won't stick together.
4. Just before filling the rolls, transfer the vegetable mixture to a colander
to drain. Gently press out the liquid. Drain the noodles and arrange
them on a baking sheet, loosely covered with a damp paper towel.
5. To assemble: Set up a large shallow bowl of very hot water. Slip a
spring roll wrapper into the water. When the wrapper becomes
pliable, after about 45 seconds, remove it from the water and lay
it flat on a paper towel. Place 2 to 3 pieces of lettuce on the bottom
half of the wrapper. Arrange 1/4 packed cup of vegetables over the
lettuce. Spread out 1 heaping tablespoon of the noodles over the
vegetables. Roll the wrapper up, tucking in the ends as you roll and
rolling tightly as possible. Repeat this procedure with the remaining
wrappers. Trim off the ends of the rolls. Cut each roll in half in the
middle. Then cut each of the 2 halves into 2 pieces on an angle to
make a total of 4 pieces. Continue with the remaining rolls. Stand
the rolls flat on their ends and serve with Peanut Dipping Sauce.

Peanut Dipping Sauce
Makes 1 cup

Thin this sauce with warm water if it is too thick to lightly coat
the Jicama and Green Papaya Summer Rolls.

2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 small onion, finely chopped to yield 1/2 cup
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons chili paste
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup coarsely chopped roasted unsalted peanuts
1/4 cup boiling water

1. Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onions
and garlic and cook until translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the chili
paste, curry powder, and salt. Stir to combine. Stir in the peanut
butter, coconut milk, vinegar, brown sugar, and 2 tablespoons
of warm water. Stir well and bring to a simmer. Let simmer for 1
to 2 minutes, stirring, until the sauce thickens and the peanut
butter dissolves.
2. Add 2 tablespoons of the peanuts to the sauce and then transfer
it to a blender. Blend until smooth, adding 2 to 4 tablespoons
of boiling water to help the sauce emulsify. Transfer it to a bowl.
Let cool to room temperature. Before serving, garnish with the
remaining peanuts. The sauce may be made 1 day ahead and
refrigerated in an airtight container. (Press plastic wrap directly
on top of the sauce to prevent a skin from forming.) Bring the
sauce back to room temperature for 1 hour before serving.
 

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