Escargot-Stuffed Mushrooms
A classic appetizer, stuffed mushroom caps, gets a Caribbean twist with the use of seaweed and clam juice. The salty taste pairs perfectly with the silky mushroom caps.
Ingredients
- Mushrooms
- Stuffing Mushrooms - 12, large
- Bottled clam juice - 1/4 cup
- Fresh lemon juice - 2 tablespoons
- Leek Saute
- Extra virgin olive oil - 1 tablespoon (alt. unsalted butter)
- Leek - 1, large, white and light green part julienned
- Fresh or rehydrated wakame seaweed* - 3/4 cup
- Bottled clam juice - 1/4 cup
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- *If seaweed is not available, use two leeks, julienned
- Mushroom Filling and Sauce
- Morel Mushrooms - 1/2 ounce, dried
- Boiling Water - 1 cup
- Unsalted Butter - 1 tablespoon
- Shallots - 1/4 cup, minced
- Bottled clam juice - 1/4 cup
- Heavy Cream - 1 cup
- Salt, freshly ground black pepper and freshly grated nutmeg
- Escargot
- Unsalted Butter - 1 tablespoon
- Canned Escargot - 36, drained
- Goat Cheese - 1 log (7 to 8 ounces)
- Baby Spinach leaves - 2 cups, packed, stems discarded
- Optional garnishes
- Deep fried julienned leeks, parsley sprigs and tomato skins
Instructions
For the mushrooms: Heat oven to 350 F. Clean the mushrooms; remove and reserve mushroom stems. Place mushrooms, hollow side down in a shallow baking dish in one layer. Pour clam juice and lemon juice over mushrooms. Cover dish with foil; bake until mushrooms are tender, about 30 minutes. Drain mushrooms, reserving juices; keep warm.
For the leek saute: Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add leeks and cook 5 minutes or until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Add seaweed; saute 1 minute. Add clam juice; simmer 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper to taste; keep warm.
For the mushroom sauce: Cover the dried morel mushrooms with boiling water; let stand 30 minutes or until the mushrooms are hydrated and tender. Chop the reserved fresh mushroom stems. Drain and chop the morel mushrooms. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped mushrooms and shallots; saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add reserved baked mushroom juices and clam juice; simmer 5 minutes. Add cream; simmer 5 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste. Strain mixture reserving solids and liquid. Reheat liquid in same saucepan.
For the escargots and assembly: Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add escargot; saute 3 minutes or until hot. To serve, spoon leek mixture into four warmed shallow serving bowls. Place three mushrooms, hollow sides up, in each dish. Spoon reserved chopped mushroom mixture into mushroom caps; top each mushroom cap with three escargot. Cut goat cheese into 12 slices; place one slice over each mushroom cap. (Alternately, goat cheese may be crumbled and sprinkled over mushrooms.) Place bowls on a large baking sheet; broil 3 to 5 inches from heat source just until cheese is golden brown, about 3 minutes. Add spinach leaves to cream mixture in saucepan. Cook 1 minute or until spinach is slightly wilted. Spoon sauce and spinach around mushrooms. Garnish, as desired.
