Garlic and Herb Chestnut Mushrooms with Goats Cheese

This is one of those recipe's that you don't really know when to eat it but you want to eat it all the time. I discovered it at breakfast. I made it again for lunch. I feel like it would be a mind-blowing canapé.


Often it it is just the large flat portobello mushrooms that are stuffed, but for a lack of organisation I decided to give the little guys a go. The little guys won. Garlicky, herby melt in your mouth mushrooms topped with gooesy tangy goats cheese. I'd call that a winner.

The goats cheese will melt in different ways depending on the type you use. My first batch of even more melty mushrooms didn't last long enough to be photographed properly so this is what you've got - but don't be alarmed if the goats cheese oozes over the sizes of the mushrooms and crisps up a little. Welcome it. See below for ozzing goats cheese. 

What I did here was roast them with my other breakfast veg - I tossed the veg in the same garlic and herb oil and voila (add the tomatoes in at the same time as the goats cheese).

Garlic and Herb Chestnut Mushrooms with Goats Cheese

Quantities: Enough for 2 as a snack or as part of a larger meal (eg. with breakfast veg)

Kitchen Stuff: Baking paper, baking tray, hot oven

Timings: 30 mins

Ingredients:
8 chestnut mushrooms
2-3 roasted garlic cloves (or 1 large pressed raw garlic clove)
2-3 tbsp olive oil
A sprig of thyme, leaves picked
A sprig of rosemary, leaves picked and chopped
About 60g ripened goats cheese log (preferably not the soft rindless kind)
Sea salt & black pepper

Method

Preheat your oven to 200°C.

1. GARLICKY OIL: Smush your garlic with the olive oil, herbs and some salt and pepper until all combined. 

2. SHROOMS: Wash your mushrooms and pat dry with kitchen towel, cut the stalks out. Toss the mushrooms in the garlicky oil until all lightly coated. 

3. BAKE: Pop your mushrooms on some baking paper on a baking tray. Bake for about 10 minutes until they are softened. Meanwhile chop or tear your goats cheese into 8 small pieces. 

4: GOAT: After 10 minutes, remove your mushrooms from the oven and plop a piece of goats cheese on each one. Return to the oven and bake for a further 10 minutes until the goats cheese is lightly golden and/or melting deliciously.

5: DRIZZLE: Transfer the mushrooms to a plate and drizzle with any remaining oil. Sprinkle with a couple more herbs. Eat.

Note: I like my mushrooms well cooked, if you would like yours a little less so, bake for less time on the first round.