Known as Champiñones gratinados, these are mushrooms (best to use the portobello variety) stuffed with a deliciously rich ham mayonnaise.
Super easy to make, these are a great starter for when you are entertaining friends or family as you can leave them hot in the oven for max prep.
Serves 4
Ingredients
4 portobello mushrooms, stalks trimmed
2 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves separated
Olive oil
1 spring onion, the green part, finely chopped
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
For the ham mayonnaise
1 egg yolk
1 garlic clove
A pinch ofsalt
1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar
3 slices serrano ham, roughly chopped
150ml mild olive oil
Method
Place the mushrooms on a roasting tray and sprinkle with sea salt, a bit of black pepper, the fresh thyme leaves and a drizzle of olive oil. Place in a cold oven and set the temperature to 180°C. Bake for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, for the ham mayonnaise, blend the egg yolk, garlic clove, salt, lemon juice and ham in a food processor and then start to add the oil in a steady stream until you have a mayonnaise.
Remove the tray from the oven and sprinkle the mushrooms with the chopped spring onion. Top with a dollop of the ham mayonnaise and return to the oven for a good 5 minutes, or until the top has nicely browned.
From Omar Allibhoy’s book, Spanish Made Simple. Alternatively, you can always try the dish for yourself at one of his Tapas Revolution restaurants or learn from the master himself as he hosts classes at Leiths School of Food and Wine.
