Arrow-right Camera

Color Scheme

Subscribe now

Portobello Finally Finding Its Way Home

Bev Bennett Los Angeles Times Service

The portobello mushroom may be as ubiquitous as cilantro on restaurant menus, but home cooks are just discovering it. It’s such a newcomer to the food scene that cookbooks more than 10 years old don’t even mention it.

Thanks to Jack Czarnecki’s informative book, “A Cook’s Book of Mushrooms” (Artisan), the portobello is getting a well-deserved introduction. Czarnecki, a renowned mushroom hunter and chef, describes it as a giant crimina mushroom, a variety of the common domestic mushroom.

However, the portobello has the succulence of larger wild mushrooms and a delicious flavor when grilled or roasted.

Many people describe it as meaty. No wonder it’s a favorite among trendy chefs; it tastes like meat without the fat and cholesterol, and even cooks like meat in a fraction of the time.

To prepare a portobello mushroom (and if you haven’t seen them, one mushroom is the size of the palm of your hand and very satisfying), brush it with olive oil, preferably flavored with garlic and rosemary or thyme, and grill or broil until tender and browned.

Slice it like a steak, and serve it with couscous, rice or another starch.

To introduce this meaty marvel, I created the following simple, flavorful combination of mushrooms with a garlicky vinaigrette over couscous.

Grilled Portobello Mushrooms over Saffron Couscous

2 large portobello mushrooms

Olive oil

Salt, freshly ground black pepper

Saffron couscous (recipe follows)

Dressing (recipe follows)

Remove stems from mushrooms and reserve for another recipe. Clean mushroom caps with damp paper towel. Slice caps 1/2 inch thick. Brush with olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Grill mushrooms over hot coals until tender and browned, 4 to 5 minutes per side (or cook on stove-top grill or under broiler). Remove from heat and set aside.

Prepare saffron couscous. Prepare dressing.

To serve, spoon couscous onto serving plate. Top with mushroom slices; spoon on dressing. Toss before serving.

Yield: 2 servings.

Saffron Couscous

2 teaspoons butter

1/2 cup minced onion

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable broth

1/4 teaspoon crushed saffron threads

3/4 cup couscous

Salt, freshly ground white pepper

Melt butter in small pan. Add onion and saute until tender, about 5 minutes.

Add vegetable broth and saffron. Bring to boil and stir to dissolve saffron. Stir in couscous. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover.

Turn off heat and set pan aside until couscous is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes. Fluff up couscous with fork.

Dressing

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Combine oil, garlic, cumin, lemon juice, vinegar, salt and pepper in cup and whisk together.

Yield: About 1/3 cup.