EVERYONE’S ready for summer, the braai, the beach and the sun. Luckily the South African Mushroom Farmers’ Association’s flavoursome, low kilojoule and easy-to-make mushroom braai recipes will also keep your body in tip-top shape for a summer that promises to be the best since 2020.
Whether you’re just cutting down a bit on meat or going vegetarian or vegan, SAMFA’s got you covered.
BRAAI MUSHROOMS WITH CHICKPEA STUFFING
Makes 8 (pictured above)
Ingredients:
Tahini lemon drizzle:
- 4 cloves garlic
- 80ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 150g tahini
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- Pinch of salt
Lemony breadcrumbs:
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 50g breadcrumbs
- 1 small garlic clove, grated
- Zest of 1 lemon
Stuffing:
- 2 tins of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 4 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 shallots, finely diced
- 1 clove garlic, finely minced
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp chilli flakes
- 3 Tbsp chives, chopped
- 3 Tbsp parsley, chopped
- 8 large portabello mushrooms
- Olive oil, for cooking
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Method
- Preheat braai to medium high heat.
For the tahini lemon drizzle:
- Combine the garlic and lemon juice and blend briefly with a stick blender.
- Allow flavours to develop for 5 minutes and then strain through a fine mesh sieve.
- In a medium sized bowl combine the garlic infused lemon juice, tahini, cumin and salt.
- Pour in the cold water and whisk to combine until smooth.
For the lemony breadcrumbs:
- Heat olive oil in a frying pan.
- Add breadcrumbs and toast until golden. Season well with salt and pepper.
- Switch off the heat and add the garlic, mixing it in well using the residual heat.
- Finally mix in the lemon zest and set aside until serving.
For the stuffing:
- Toast chickpeas in a dry frying pan for a few minutes until beginning to brown.
- Combine all the stuffing ingredients and the toasted chickpeas in a bowl together and season to taste.
For the mushrooms:
- Brush the portabellos with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Braai until tender and lightly charred all over.
- Turn mushrooms gills side up and fill with the stuffing.
- Close braai lid and allow to heat through.
- Serve stuffed portabellos with a sprinkle of lemony breadcrumbs and a generous dollop of tahini drizzle.
MUSHROOM & COUSCOUS BRAAI BUTTERNUT
Serves 6
Ingredients
- 3 medium butternuts
Stuffing:
- 1 cup couscous
- 250ml chicken or vegetable stock, just boiled
- 200g baby leeks, sliced
- 300g baby portabellini/baby button mushrooms, sliced in half
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small chilli, sliced and deseeded if desired
- 100g feta cheese, crumbled
- Handful fresh parsley, roughly chopped
- 3 Tbsp za’atar spice blend
- Olive oil, for cooking
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Method
- Preheat braai to medium high heat.
- Cut each butternut in half and scoop out the seeds.
- Brush the halves with olive oil and season well with salt.
- Wrap in tinfoil and place on the braai.
- Braai for 30 – 40 minutes, or until cooked through and soft when pierced with a knife.
- When the butternut is almost ready, prepare the filling.
- Place couscous in a bowl and pour over the stock.
- Mix and cover with a lid or tight plastic wrap.
- Using a large cast iron pan on the braai or stovetop, heat a drizzle of olive oil.
Add the sliced leeks and cook until tender. - Add the baby button mushrooms and cook until tender.
- Add the garlic and chilli and cook until fragrant.
- Fluff up the couscous with a fork and add to the pan. Toss to combine.
- Remove filling from the heat and mix in the roughly crumbled feta cheese and parsley.
- Unwrap butternut halves and fill generously with the mushroom stuffing.
- Sprinkle liberally with za’atar and serve straight away.
MUSHROOM GARLIC BREAD
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
- 1 large baguette
- 115g butter, softened
- 4 cloves garlic, finely grated
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 Tbsp parsley, chopped
- 60g Parmesan, grated
- 250g portabellini mushrooms, sliced
- Fresh thyme leaves, for serving
- Olive oil, for cooking
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Method
- Preheat braai onto a medium heat.
- Cut the baguette lengthwise in half.
- Toast baguette halves until lightly golden brown on the braai, cut side down. Remove.
- Combine butter, garlic, oregano and a good amount of salt and pepper in a small bowl.
- Mix well.
- Spread evenly over the bread.
- Sprinkle bread with half of the Parmesan.
- Heat a frying pan on high heat or a cast iron pan on the braai.
- Add a drizzle of olive oil and cook the mushrooms until tender and golden. Season well.
- Spread mushrooms all over the bread and finish with the rest of the parmesan.
- Return the bread to the braai and close the lid. Cook until the cheese and garlic butter mixture melt into the bread and the outside is crisp.
- (If you don’t have a braai with a lid, wrap the garlic mushroom bread in tinfoil.)
- Serve straight off the braai, sprinkle with thyme leaves and cut into chunky wedges.
PORTABELLO STEAKS, ZUCCHINI CHIPS & GARLIC AIOLI
Serves 2
Ingredients
Cheat’s garlic aioli:
- 1 large clove garlic, finely grated
- 125ml high quality French style creamy mayonnaise
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- Pinch of sea salt
Chips:
- 4 large zucchinis/baby marrows
- 3 Tbsp Parmesan cheese, finely grated
- 1 tsp garlic powder
Steaks:
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 cup mixed fresh herbs, parsley / oregano / mint / basil etc
- 160ml olive oil
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp chilli flakes
- Pinch of sea salt
- 4 large portabello mushroom steaks
Method
For the aioli:
- Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk well.
- Season to taste and set aside in the fridge until serving.
For the chips:
- Using a mandoline or very sharp knife, cut the zucchini into very thin rounds.
- Toss in a bowl with a good pinch of salt.
- Spread the slices out in a single layer on a clean dishcloth for 5 minutes.
- Take another dishcloth and cover them and press gently to extract as much water out of the zucchini as possible.
- Heat an air fryer to 180˚C.
- Coat the air fryer basket or tray with cooking / olive oil spray.
- Add enough zucchini slices to sit in a single layer.
- Sprinkle zucchini with about 1 Tbsp of the grated Parmesan cheese and a little garlic powder. Air-fry until golden-brown, 7 to 8 minutes.
- Check the chips halfway through. Small chips may brown and crisp before larger ones.
- Transfer the chips to a serving plate. Repeat air frying the remaining zucchini.
For the steaks:
- Preheat a braai on medium high heat.
- Combine all the ingredients except the mushrooms in a small jug.
- Blitz with a stick blender.
- Place mushrooms steaks on the braai and brush them liberally with the herby garlic oil.
- Braai until tender and lightly charred all over, basting while you cook.
- Serve mushrooms hot off the braai with a pile of zucchini chips, a good dollop of aioli and some more herb oil on the side.
Enjoy!