Chef Perry Scaletta,
La Scala
This recipe uses cambozola cheese, which has gained favour in local restaurants as of late. Invented in the 1970s in Germany, it is a hybrid of French camembert and Italian gorgonzola. It has a much milder flavouring than a typical blue cheese, but still has a spicy kick that blends well with this dish.
Ingredients
Mushrooms
6 portobello mushroom caps
1/2 to 3/4 cup olive oil
1 Tbsp minced garlic, divided
Salt and pepper, to taste
Filling
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
6 sun-dried tomatoes, diced
20 strips marinated spicy eggplant, diced
1 red pepper, diced
Pinch dry oregano
Pinch black pepper
6 thick slices cambozola cheese
1/4 cup red wine
1 cup demi-glace
Garnish
3 cups mixed greens
Method
Mushrooms
1. Preheat oven to 450˚F.
2. Drizzle olive oil over mushroom caps. Sprinkle pinch of garlic, salt, pepper on each mushroom.
3. Bake mushrooms for 20 minutes.
Filling
1. Preheat oven to 450˚F.
2. In a sauté pan, at medium heat, add olive oil, onions and garlic. Toss in diced sun-dried tomatoes, eggplant, red pepper, oregano and black
pepper. Sauté for 2-3 minutes.
3. Spoon 1/6th of tomato mixture into each mushroom cap and top with cheese.
4. Place mushroom caps in frying pan. Add red wine and demi-glace into pan, but not into mushroom caps.
5. Bake for 15 minutes, or until cheese is lightly melted.
To serve
1. Place mushroom cap beside 1/2 cup of mixed greens. Drizzle red wine and demi-glace mixture onto each plate.
Yield 6 servings