The holiday season has come again! Whether you enjoy an elegant style of celebration, or a cozy, homey holiday retreat, this recipe for a stuffed mushrooms appetizer from The Official Downton Abbey Christmas Cookbook by Regula Ysewijn will fit the bill.
Downton Abbey Stuffed Mushrooms
Makes 4 appetizer servings
What you need:
- Unsalted butter for the parchment [I used vegan butter]
- 8 uniform-size brown or white mushrooms, about 9 oz total1 [You want large ones; hand select if you can.]
- ¼ lb ground pork, veal, or a sweet/savory ground sausage
- 3 tablespoons dried breadcrumbs2, plus more for topping
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus whole leaves for garnish
- Salt and black pepper
- Olive oil, for drizzling
What you do:
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and butter the paper.
- Remove the stems from the mushrooms, set aside3; brush the mushrooms clean. Place the mushrooms, hollow side up about 2 inches apart on the prepared pan.
- To make the stuffing, in a medium bowl, mix together the pork, bread crumbs, egg yolk, and parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide the stuffing into 8 equal portions, shape each portion into a ball, and place each ball in the hollow of each mushroom. Drizzle a little oil over each mushroom and sprinkle lightly with bread crumbs.
- Bake the mushrooms until the stuffing is cooked through and the mushrooms are tender when pierced with a knife tip, about 20 minutes. Garnish each mushroom with a parsley leaf and serve warm.
Helpful Hints & Hacks
- There was a lot of the stuffing left when I filled 8 mushrooms; 12 mushrooms might be better.
- I used Italian seasoned breadcrumbs to boost the flavor combinations.
- You can finely chop the stems and stir about a ¼ cup of them into the stuffing mixture; this really enhances the flavors. Use any remaining chopped mushroom stems in an egg dish, a marinara, or soup.
This recipe is a pleasant holiday surprise. The musky scent of these mushrooms combines well with the other ingredients, and the aroma as they are baking fills your kitchen with comforting goodness. The cookbook itself is full of holiday foods that will pique your interest and give you a peek into the lives of the well-heeled Edwardians’ Christmas celebrations. Have a safe and happy holiday, and ciao for now!
Reviewed by Anne
