Mushroom Thyme

I know.  I know.  I'm a dork.
But I'm a dork who likes mushrooms with thyme.
It's time well spent as far as I'm concerned.

Plus I really wanted to play with a thyme brush. 

That right there is pretty much the reason I chose

Jamie Oliver's Thyme Griddled Mushrooms

for this week's I Heart Cooking Clubs Fire Up the Grill theme.

Instead of doing this indoors, as the recipe suggests, we used the outdoor grill.

Isn't grilling portobello mushrooms the super cool & hip thing to do?

Let's pretend that it is so I can feel better about being a goof with my title.

Notes:
Pretty good, although I was disappointed in the thyme flavor.  It didn't come through as much as I had hoped.  However, I didn't use my mortar and pestle.  Using it for anything other than grinding spices or grains skeeves me out since it's made out of lava rock.

Instead I flexed my muscles, bruising the thyme against sea salt in a bowl.
The lemon zest and balsamic vinegar at the end were a nice touch.

Thyme Griddled Mushrooms
from Jamie Oliver/ foodnetwork.com (click for printable recipe)

The thyme brush used for this is a great way to combine the thyme flavour with the mushrooms. You could use it for any other griddled vegetables or meat as well.

8 large flat field mushrooms
Bunch fresh thyme
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
Small bunch flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped
1 red chilli, finely chopped
1 lemon, zest finely grated and juiced
Balsamic vinegar (optional)

Heat a heavy griddle pan on the stove. Slice the bottom off each mushroom, then place the tops on the griddle, flat side down. Wrap some string around the thyme to make a brush. Put the brush end with a large pinch of salt in the mortar and then bash, adding about 5 teaspoons of extra-virgin olive oil and the white wine vinegar. Add a bit more salt and pepper.

Using the thyme bundle as a brush turn the mushrooms over and brush with the thyme oil, keep dabbing them while they are cooking. When the mushrooms are cooked, place them on a serving plate and sprinkle them with the parsley, chilli, and lemon zest. Squeeze over the lemon juice and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil. Add a little balsamic vinegar, if you like. 


This is my contribution to the current IHCC Grilling theme.  Right now we are cooking with Jamie Oliver.

If you'd like to know more about this project, join in, and/or view what others' have made...