Recipe Stuffed Mushrooms with Bacon, Blue Cheese and Pink Peppercorns

[Morning Glory]

Slightly salty bacon and blue cheese with sweet caramelised onions always works as a combination and the mushrooms provide an earthy, musky foundation. But then I wanted something sour and spicy to contrast. It so happened that my friend had a jar of pickled pink peppercorns in the fridge. So that is what I added and I think they work very well. I only wish they looked more pink! I may try pickling my own to see if I can preserve the colour.

Ingredients
4 Portobello mushrooms
4 heaped tbsp fresh bread crumbs
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves plus some to sprinkle
2 rashers of streaky bacon (chopped)
1 medium onion, finely sliced
50g blue cheese cut into small pieces
10 -12 picked pink peppercorns
Oil for frying
Olive oil to drizzle
Salt to taste
Olive oil or flavoured oil to drizzle
Fresh parsley to scatter

Method

• Heat the oven to 180C.
• Gently fry the sliced onion in oil until caramelised (at least 10 minutes).
• Whist the onions are cooking, remove the mushroom stalks and chop finely.
• Fry the bacon and the mushroom stalks in a little oil for 5 mins.
• Add the breadcrumbs and thyme to the pan and mix well. Season to taste.
• Put the mushrooms on a non-stick baking tray and fill with the bacon/breadcrumb mixture.
• Drizzle with olive oil and bake for 20 minutes.
• Arrange the caramelised onion, cheese and peppercorns on top of each mushroom and return to the oven until the cheese is melted (a few minutes)
• Scatter parsley and thyme leaves over before serving.

 

[The Late Night Gourmet]

I first took a look at this and thought, "where are the mushrooms?" But, I can see that each one is a meal unto itself, and almost too beautiful to eat (almost: I certainly wouldn't hold back if I had a chance).

My only thought, having used bacon in a variety of applications, is that you could start by rendering the bacon, and use the fat from the bacon to fry the mushroom and the onion. This would get the bacon flavor throughout and save having to add oil (except for the drizzle before the bake).

 

[Morning Glory]

I first took a look at this and thought, "where are the mushrooms?" But, I can see that each one is a meal unto itself, and almost too beautiful to eat (almost: I certainly wouldn't hold back if I had a chance).

My only thought, having used bacon in a variety of applications, is that you could start by rendering the bacon, and use the fat from the bacon to fry the mushroom and the onion. This would get the bacon flavor throughout and save having to add oil (except for the drizzle before the bake).

Thank you! Quite right - but as I was using very little bacon (two wafer thin slices) there wasn't enough fat rendered.

What I would really like to know is if I can pickle dried pink peppercorns and retain their colour. I've tried Googling to no avail...

 

[The Late Night Gourmet]

Thank you! Quite right - but as I was using very little bacon (two wafer thin slices) there wasn't enough fat rendered.

What I would really like to know is if I can pickle dried pink peppercorns and retain their colour. I've tried Googling to no avail...

One of the fundamental precepts about pickling is that you're expected to boil the liquid (vinegar and possibly water) with salt (and maybe sugar), then soak the thing you want to pickle in the hot liquid to infuse the thing with the pickling agents. And, as you've found, this causes the color of most things to run. I ran into this when pickling one of the most beautiful things in nature, the watermelon radish. Two days after pickling them, the gorgeous watermelon-y interior had bled through and was totally pink.

So, I decided to take a lesson from another favorite thing of mine: kimchi. Kimchi is prepared by dissolving salt in water (cold or room temp), and letting the vegetables soak. Additional flavors are mixed in later, and everything is done without any boiling. There's no denying that the kimchi has a terrific pickled flavor, so I started with that. Everything looked great at first, But, after a few days in the pickling liquid, the colors ran again. It was then that I hit upon the second thing I needed to change.

In the end, here's what I do when I want to pickle something and retain the color:

1) Dissolve salt in vinegar (and water...I use a 50:50 mix if I want a less intense flavor). Boil if you'd like, but make sure to completely cool before the next step.
2) Add whatever other items to the liquid (fresh thyme, etc), then add the thing you want to pickle. Refrigerate immediately (my theory is that the more time spent warm, the more likely it is that the colors will run).
3) Refrigerate overnight. Check to see if the thing is pickley enough. If so, then DRAIN THE LIQUID! If you're a real fanatic, remove from jar and pat dry with a paper towel. This will stop any further bleed through.

This worked for the watermelon radishes. Maybe it will work for peppercorns?

 

[Morning Glory]

In the end, here's what I do when I want to pickle something and retain the color:

1) Dissolve salt in vinegar (and water...I use a 50:50 mix if I want a less intense flavor). Boil if you'd like, but make sure to completely cool before the next step.
2) Add whatever other items to the liquid (fresh thyme, etc), then add the thing you want to pickle. Refrigerate immediately (my theory is that the more time spent warm, the more likely it is that the colors will run).
3) Refrigerate overnight. Check to see if the thing is pickley enough. If so, then DRAIN THE LIQUID! If you're a real fanatic, remove from jar and pat dry with a paper towel. This will stop any further bleed through.

This worked for the watermelon radishes. Maybe it will work for peppercorns?

Thank you so much for this. I will try the method you suggest. The problem I have is that the peppercorns are dried. So they will need cooking to become tender and thus go brownish. I really don't think I can source them fresh. So I am wondering if I should try to rehydrate them in water first... I'm thinking aloud and will put some in boiled water overnight to see what happens.

 

[The Late Night Gourmet]

Thank you so much for this. I will try the method you suggest. The problem I have is that the peppercorns are dried. So they will need cooking to become tender and thus go brownish. I really don't think I can source them fresh. So I am wondering if I should try to rehydrate them in water first... I'm thinking aloud and will put some in boiled water overnight to see what happens.

I do think that rehydrating them in room temperature water would be the best way to start. Now I feel like I need to try this! I have a huge container of tellecherry peppercorns, and a small one of rainbow peppercorns (which include the pink ones).

BTW, I didn't mean to come off as criticizing your recipe earlier...I can see (as you mentioned) that there's a small amount of bacon, and adding enough to do what I suggest would change the recipe. It's just that I've just been so excited since "discovering" this technique that I feel a need to mention it whenever I see bacon.

 

[Morning Glory]

I do think that rehydrating them in room temperature water would be the best way to start. Now I feel like I need to try this! I have a huge container of tellecherry peppercorns, and a small one of rainbow peppercorns (which include the pink ones).

BTW, I didn't mean to come off as criticizing your recipe earlier...I can see (as you mentioned) that there's a small amount of bacon, and adding enough to do what I suggest would change the recipe. It's just that I've just been so excited since "discovering" this technique that I feel a need to mention it whenever I see bacon.

I too have a large bag of pink peppercorns (bought on-line much cheaper than in the supermarket). I've put some in a bowl, covered with boiling water and will leave them overnight.

I didn't think for a moment that you were being critical! In fact, I rather like it if people do make suggestions about my recipes. There is always room to improve!