Portobello mushrooms (some spell portabella or portobella) are a matured, big cremini mushrooms. You may wonder, does it relate to the most popular button mushroom? Yes indeed! Button mushrooms are the ‘younger’ version. When they grow, they mature and develop gills under it.
What are Mushroom Gills?
Those vertical plates lie under the mushroom’s cap, called gills (pronounced like ‘jill’). It is edible, and personally I find it very beautiful. Some people don’t like it though, saying it may alter the taste and have bitterness. And for the sake of cleanness, to remove it all, just like we human beings remove body hair. But anyway, the gills don’t bother me and I like to enjoy it as a whole.
Beware of the Overflow juiciness
Portobello, as an exotic mushroom, is rich in a meaty flavour and super juicy. I highlighted its juiciness because it releases quite a remarkable amount of water while baking! So, learn from my mistake, don’t place them together with other ingredients (especially those you want to be crunchy)!
I like to enjoy them as a side dish with baked fish, or as a main, then pair with easily-cooked couscous.
Ingredients
- 4 portobello mushrooms
- 1/2 red onion, diced
- 1/2 small courgette, diced
- 50 g cheese for baking
- salt and pepper
- olive oil
How to Make Simply Stuffed Cheesy Portobello Mushrooms
- Preheat oven to 200ºC/fan 180ºC. Line a parchment paper on a baking tray.
- Remove stems from the portobello and finely dice. Heat a little oil in a pan, sautéed onions, portobello stems and courgettes with pinch of salt and pepper, cook until fragrant.
- Scoop the vegetables onto the portobellos, then sprinkle in some cheese and olive oil. Bake until the cheese is golden, around 20-25 minutes.
