Vegetarian mains
Portobello mushroom rarebit with quinoa, apple and walnut salad
We like using chervil instead of parsley; it adds the same fresh lift to a dish, but has pretty leaves and the mildest hint of aniseed flavour. You won't need your egg whites for this recipe, but save and use them to make meringues or, for the virtuous, an egg white omelette (we'd prefer meringues!). Egg whites freeze well, too, if you don't want to use them straightaway.
Ingredients
- 4 portobello mushrooms
- 2 eggs
- 150g Cheddar cheese
- 10g plain flour
- 50ml white wine
- ½ tbsp Worcester sauce
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- ¼ tsp paprika
- 50g quinoa
- 1 tbsp cider vinegar
- olive oil
- 50g salad leaves
- 1 apple, thinly sliced
- 1 celery stick, diced
- 50g toasted walnut pieces
- handful of chopped chervil
- salt and pepper
Method
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Step 1
Preheat the oven to 190°C/Gas 5. Drizzle or rub both sides of the mushrooms with a little oil. Place them upside down (stalk-side up) on the baking tray. Season them.
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Step 2
Separate the egg yolks and whites into 2 bowls. You won't need the whites. Use a fork to lightly whisk the yolks together. Add the cheese, flour, wine, Worcester sauce and mustard to the eggs and combine all the ingredients. Carefully spoon some of the mixture into the middle of each mushroom. Sprinkle with paprika.
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Step 3
Bake the mushrooms until the filling is puffed up and golden, and the mushrooms tender; approx. 20 minutes, depending on your oven.
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Step 4
Once the mushrooms go in the oven, boil a kettle. Rinse the quinoa in a sieve. Transfer it to a small pan. Pour in 4 times the volume of boiling water to quinoa. Boil for 13-14 minutes, until the seeds have popped open.
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Step 5
In a cup or small bowl, make a little dressing by whisking the vinegar with 3 tablespoons olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.
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Step 6
Once cooked, drain the quinoa into a sieve and rinse it under cold water to cool it. Leave to drain or use a spoon to press out any excess water.
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Step 7
When the mushrooms are ready, toss the salad leaves, apple, celery, walnuts, quinoa and half the chervil leaves in just enough dressing to coat. Serve alongside the mushrooms, sprinkling the remaining chervil leaves over the salad.