Sausage-stuffed portobello mushrooms
Serves 6
The most flavorful fresh pork or poultry sausage makes the best stuffing for these large mushroom caps.
| Oil (for the pan) | |
| 6 | large portobello mushrooms |
| 2 | uncooked pork or poultry sausages (about 12 ounces total), casings removed |
| 1 | tablespoon olive oil |
| 1/2 | medium onion, finely chopped |
| 1 | stalk celery, finely chopped |
| 1 | clove garlic, finely chopped |
| 2 | teaspoons chopped fresh thyme |
| 1/2 | cup coarse fresh bread crumbs |
| 1/4 | cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese |
| 1/4 | cup chopped fresh parsley |
| Salt and pepper, to taste | |
| 1 | egg, lightly beaten |
2. Slice off and discard the mushroom stems. Use a small spoon to scrape off the black gills on the underside of the caps. Place the caps, rounded side up, on the baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until the mushrooms release their liquid. Remove from the oven; leave the oven on.
3. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the sausages, crumbling them into small pieces with the edge of a spoon, for 8 minutes or until brown and cooked through. Set a colander over a bowl. Transfer the sausage mixture to it to drain.
4. Wipe out the skillet. Return it to medium-high heat. Add the oil and when it is hot, cook the onion and celery, stirring often, for 6 minutes, or until the vegetables are softened. Stir in the garlic and thyme and cook 1 minute more.
5. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the bread crumbs, Parmesan, parsley, salt, pepper, egg, and the cooked sausage.
6. Turn the mushroom caps over. Divide the sausage mixture among the caps, forming a mound of the stuffing. Bake for 15 minutes or until the stuffing is very hot and browned. Lisa Zwirn Notes: 
© Copyright 2007 Globe Newspaper Company.
