Mushrooms are really having a moment, and rightly so. They’re quite magical in what they can do and in how they taste. Despite all of their amazing health benefits, I still choose to eat them because of how they taste.
I also buy mushroom powders such as reishi, lion’s mane and turkey tail tea from Ballyhoura Mushrooms in the Ballyhoura Mountains. They supply gourmet, medicinal and wild mushrooms. They also sell grow-your-own mushroom kits. We watched in amazement last year as ours sprouted the most incredible shiitake in a matter of days.
Umami packed and so versatile, mushrooms can be the star of so many dishes, from soups to stews and sandwiches. Large flat cap or portobello mushrooms are ideal for burgers: they’re the perfect size and have a wonderful meaty texture. The hollow in the centre can be stuffed with all sorts of delicious things. I always go for cheese, herbs and plenty of garlic, seasoned generously with salt and black pepper.
If you love cheese on your burger, then this recipe is for you. Two types of cheese form a herbed fondue inside the mushroom cap. I don’t discard the stem either. That gets chopped up finely and combined with the cheese. Often recipes call for the gills on the underside of portobello mushrooms to be removed, mostly because their inky black colour can taint the rest of the dish. I feel it’s like throwing away half your mushroom to discard the stems and gills. As long as they’re clean and fresh, I leave them on.
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I sometimes use feta and Parmesan, but have chosen a ricotta here and some mature white cheddar. It’s a great way to use up any leftover odds and ends of cheese. Blue cheese is, of course, really amazing with the mushrooms too. It’s all topped off with some breadcrumbs to form a crispy crust. The textures are wonderful.
You can add one or two mushrooms to each bun, depending on the size of the mushrooms and personal preference. My local cafe here in Cobh, Sea Salt, sometimes makes the most amazing mushroom burgers stuffed with Gubbeen cheese. Served with a gorgeous slaw, pink hibiscus pickled onion and kimchi mayonnaise, it makes for an absolute feast. When a vegetarian dish is cooked so creatively and considerately, it really does make something delicious and exciting. No one is left searching the horizon yearningly for a beef burger.
I usually just pack them on to a tray and roast them in the oven. But these burgers can be cooked on a barbecue too and now that barbecue season is finally kicking off, it’s great to have a few plant-based options to keep everyone happy.
