April 2010 - Stuffed Mushrooms with Gorgonzola Dressing

With a recipe like Valli Little's Baked Caramel Cheesecake with Toffee Shards on the front cover of issue #92 how could you possibly go wrong. Unfortunately I sort of did, you see I didn't make Valli's cheesecake. I decided that I should make something for a weekend lunch from this issue and instead of choosing Poh's Char Kway Teow, Curtis Stone's Risoni, Roast Tomato & Capsicum Salad, Valli's Chorizo, Corn & Black Bean Salad with Tortillas or Jill Dupleix's Lentil Fritters with Labne I made Andy Bunn's Stuffed Mushroom with Gorgonzola Dressing.

Now to be fair, the actual stuffed mushroom was very good, I did leave out the anchovies though. The beans with it were a very nice with the mushroom and filled it out to be a bit more of a meal. It was just the dressing and, to be honest, I think that may have been my fault. I didn't have any sunflower oil to make the dressing out of so instead I used macadamia oil instead, which I always thought was a rather neutral oil. The dressing tasted terrible and I suspect that my oil may have been rancid. I would recommend the actual stuff mushroom but I don't really know about the dressing. Don't make it with macadamia nut oil if you do try it though...

Stuffed Mushrooms with Gorgonzola Dressing

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/4 c olive oil
  
• 1 onion, finely diced
  
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 8 anchovies, roughly chopped
• 3 c (210 g) fresh breadcrumbs
  
• 1 c (80 g) grated parmesan
  
• 2 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
  
• 4 large flat mushrooms
• 250 g Roman (flat) beans, trimmed and steamed until just cooked
  

Gorgonzola Dressing

• 1 egg yolk
  
• 1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
• 2 tsp hot English mustard
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
  
• 100 ml sunflower oil
  
• 20 g gorgonzola piccante
  

Method:

• Preheat oven to 200 C.
  

For Dressing:

• Whiz egg yolk, garlic, mustard & vinegar in a food processor until combined.
  
• With the motor running add oil drop by drop at first, then in a steady stream until thick.
  
• Add gorgonzola and process until smooth. Set aside.
  

For Mushrooms:

• Heat butter and 1 tbsp oil in fry pan. Add onion, garlic and anchovies and cook, stirring occasionally until onion is soft and anchovies dissolve, about 8 minutes.
  
• Remove from heat and stir in breadcrumbs, parmesan and parsley and season with salt & pepper.
  
• Remove stalks from mushrooms and place on oiled baking tray.
  
• Top with breadcrumb mixture, drizzle with oil and bake 15 minute or until topping golden and mushroom soft.
  
• Divide beans between plates and top with a mushroom and drizzle with dressing.