Grilled Portobello with Chevre and Mascarpone
Mushrooms and cheese seem to have a natural affinity, and never more so than when marinated and grilled portobellos are combined with a mixture of cheeses. These large, fleshy mushrooms are a meal in themselves, and are served here as an entrée.
Ingredients
- Marinade
- Light vegetable oil - 2 cups
- Soy Sauce - 1-1/2 cups
- Fresh Ginger - 2 tablespoons, minced
- Powdered Ginger - 2 tablespoons
- Freshly ground white pepper - 1 teaspoon
- Portobello Mushrooms - four, 4-1/2-inch to 6-inch
- Salt and freshly ground white pepper
- Mushroom Stock
- Dried Morels - 1/2 cup
- Water - 1 pint
- Mushroom Stems - 3/4 cup, grilled marinated
- Fresh Garlic - 1 teaspoon, minced
- Salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste
- Cheeses
- Chevre (goat cheese) - 2-1/4 ounces, preferably Montrachet
- Garlic-herb Boursin - 1-1/4 ounce
- Mascarpone - 1/2 cup
- Egg Yolk - 1
- Thyme Sprigs - 4
Instructions
To prepare the marinade and mushrooms: Combine all ingredients in a non-aluminum bowl and mix well. Stem the mushrooms. Put the mushroom caps and stems in the marinade and turn to coat all sides. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 24 hours, but no longer. Drain the mushrooms well.
To prepare the mushroom stock: Put the morels in 1 cup of the water and let stand 4 to 24 hours to rehydrate. Strain the stock and combine with the remaining ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cook 30 minutes. Strain through a fine-meshed sieve. Set aside.
Light a charcoal fire in a grill, or a gas grill. When the fire is hot, put the grill in place to heat it. Place the caps and stems on the grill, placing the caps top down, and sear to create grill marks. Season with salt and pepper. Grill for 3 minutes, turn, and grill for 1 minute and 50 seconds. Remove from the grill, Chop the stems and put into the reserved mushroom stock. Simmer the stock until reduced by one fourth in volume.
To make the cheese mixture: Puree the chevre and boursin together until smooth. Add the mascarpone and egg yolk and mix well. Put the mixture in a pastry bag fitted with a large tip; refrigerate until ready to use.
To serve: Cut the portobello caps in half. Pipe a mound of the cheese mixture in the center of each plate. Arrange two portobello cap halves on each plate, on either side of the cheese, overlapping the cheese. Ladle mushroom sauce around the mushrooms and cheese mixture. Garnish each plate with a sprig of thyme.
