Now then. If you ever invite me round to dinner (and I wish you would), if you ask me if there is anything I prefer not to eat, I will say mushrooms, aubergines and seafood. With a caveat. I don’t mind mushrooms and aubergines if they are cut up small and not the main event, but if you serve up a massive field mushroom with all its fronds showing, I might just have to grab my bongos and split.
This photo gives me the heebie-jeebies…
I don’t think I’m a fussy eater, and actually, I find it fascinating when I ask potential dinner guests about their food dislikes. I know off the top of my head, that the adorable Gary Chapman is averse to coriander. That Heather doesn’t like meat combined with fruit and that Nathan (like me) doesn’t like mushrooms.
All of this to say, I am trying to get over my mushroom phobia. Aren’t I growing up? So, as I had quite a few mushrooms left over from the Chicken in Champagne Sauce, I made some Champignons Grilles Marie Victoria to use a few up. They were nice, I ate them. That is all I will say.
Here they are alongside a Vincent Price Barbecued Double Hamburger (recipe coming soon). The mushrooms are a good, easy veggie recipe for the forthcoming Vincent Price Cookalong (details also coming soon) so here’s the deets in all their glory for those of you who like mushrooms…
Champignons Grilles Marie Victoire – from the Treasury of Great Recipes (1965)
Serves 6
Scrub lightly: 18 large brown mushrooms. Remove stems and save them to use in stocks or sauces. In a large iron-handled skillet melt 2 tablespoons butter. Place mushroom caps, tops down, in the butter.
Blend 3 tablespoons softened butter with 1 teaspoon finely chopped shallots, 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt, and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper.
Fill mushroom caps with the butter mixture. Broil about 6 inches from heat, for about 5 minutes, watching carefully. Turn off broiler and allow mushrooms to sizzle for 5 minutes more.
PRESENTATION
Baste mushrooms with any juice in pan. Serve without spilling contents of caps.
P.S. I sprinkled on some parsley for the photo (!)
P. P.S. In the Treasury Vincent explains that this dish is named in honour of his daughter. Sweet.
These sound good! Can’t wait for more details on the cookalong so I can post about it over on my blog. =)
Thanks Tina – am working on the cookalong logistics over the next couple of weeks so should be more info on it soon. It will probably run in October, more details soon… Brilliant that you plan to post about it! JX
Terribly brave of you! I’m not a mushroom fan myself (but live with a fungus lover), so I end up cooking and consuming more than expected (it’s a texture thing for me…I don’t mind them if they’re chopped small). I do notice you mention “quite a few mushrooms left over from the Chicken in Champagne Sauce,” but no mention of any leftover Champagne. Funny how that works out so well. 🙂 Your final meal looks lovely! Looking forward to your cook-along…when’s that coming up?
Hi Greg – this DID make me laugh. You are the same as me, definitely a texture thing. Mushrooms and aubergines just seem kinda spongy to me… You are so right, NEVER any left over champagne… The Treasury cookalong will probably run sometime in October, ironing out the details at the moment. Are you planning a cookalong for the launch of Recipes for Rebels? I do so hope so, I am IN – naturally!
I would LOVE to be planning a Recipes for Rebels cook-along, but we’re going to be on the road (in the States) doing promo…You’ve been my model and mentor through this whole process, but there’s just too much else going on. Maybe for a later date…? You’re a master at keeping all the balls in the air and making it look easy! 🙂
Aw, you are SO SWEET! That’s so lovely of you to say. Seriously, if I ever have a chance to be “on the road doing promo” – I’d be doing that! Yes, a later date for sure, it’s so much fun to do.
When my day-job boss expressed surprise at how much I do outside of work I said: “I am a childless spinster with no television” – that’s the secret I think – the lack of TV!
Hope you’ll be blogging about your adventures on the road…