Ingredients

Method

• 6 extra large brown mushrooms
• 3/4 cup pecan nuts, toasted, plus extra to garnish
• 1 1/2 cups coarse fresh breadcrumbs
• 1 T finely chopped fresh sage, plus 6 whole leaves to garnish
• sea salt and freshly ground white pepper
• 2 T olive oil, plus extra for sauteing
• 1-2 rounds ripe Camembert, thinly sliced
• Balsamic vinegar reduction, for drizzling

Method

Ingredients

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Clean the mushrooms and carefully cut out the stems. Chop the mushroom stems coarsely.

Place the pecan nuts into a food processor and pulse until they are coarsely chopped.

Add the breadcrumbs, chopped mushroom stems and sage to the processor and pulse until the mixture is evenly chopped. Season to taste.

Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper and place the mushrooms, cap-side down, on the baking tray.

Brush each mushroom with a little olive oil, then bake for 5 minutes.

Divide the stuffing mixture equally amongst the mushrooms, then drizzle evenly with the remaining olive oil and return to the oven for 15 minutes.

In the meantime, lightly coat a frying pan with olive oil, heat it up gently and sauté the whole sage leaves until they are transparent.

Drain on kitchen paper. Remove the baking tray from the oven and top each mushroom with a slice or two of Camembert.

Return the tray to the oven for 5 minutes, or until the cheese has melted.

Position a sage leaf and pecan nut on top of each mushroom and splash a few drops of balsamic reduction on each serving.

Serve immediately.

This recipe was created by Mariana Esterhuizen,  the owner-chef of Mariana's Home Deli and Bistro in Stanford. You can call her on (028) 341-0272.