[tooncookingtoon]

Dear Chef Talk friends, 

I'm grilling Portobello mushrooms tonight. It's beautiful out. The thing is, I've never done this before. I've read some other Portobello posts on here, and some people suggest peeling them. I was thinking of throwing some olive oil on them, salt and pepper, some kind of herb (recommendations?) and adding some goat cheese on top of the gills. (So maybe the herb on top of the cheese?) 

Any help would be great!

-tct

 

[grande]

Sounds good, some people scrape the gills out. They take a little bit to really cook through

 

[koukouvagia]

You do not have to scrape out the gills, they're perfectly find to eat.  I do remove the stem though.  I wash and let them dry thoroughly, no need to peel!  Then I marinate them in olive oil, balsamic, minced garlic, dried herbs, salt and pepper before I grill them.  Top with goat cheese after otherwise it will melt all over your grill.  

 

[brianshaw]

Scraping gills is only an appearance issue. For the family I don't. For guests I do. Herb suggestion: thyme or Rosemary, depending on what else is being served. Lemon thyme if you can get it. Fresh herbs always. (Sorry KK not disagreeing just expressing my experience with this). I've even gone with just parsley quite successfully.

For sure no peeling!

If using fresh herb sprinkle some on the finished product in addition to in the marinade.

 

[luc_h]

@tooncookingtoon that sounds pretty much what I do

I paint/wipe a thin coat of olive oil on the smooth cap side.

Turn over, sprinkle salt, pepper, sometimes granulated garlic, sprinkling of balsamic vinegar. Let all of that disappear in the gills.

Place a dollop of soft cheese on top. Place on grill gill side up.

Luc H.

 

[koukouvagia]

Scraping gills is only an appearance issue. For the family I don't. For guests I do. Herb suggestion: thyme or Rosemary, depending on what else is being served. Lemon thyme if you can get it. Fresh herbs always. (Sorry KK not disagreeing just expressing my experience with this). I've even gone with just parsley quite successfully.

For sure no peeling!

If using fresh herb sprinkle some on the finished product in addition to in the marinade.

You can disagree with me safely, I will not send you a malicious PM, I promise.

The reason I use dried herbs is because a marinade hydrates them and they provide a lot of flavor without spending a lot of money on fresh herbs. I do not use fresh herbs in marinades, too costly. Plus they burn when they hit the grill anyway. I do serve the fresh herbs on the finished product though, or if I'm making a fresh herb marinade I'll slather it on in the last minute or so. There is no right or wrong way to do this, use what herbs you have. I do agree on thyme and rosemary. Marjoram or oregano are nice too.

 

[cerise]

Try them stuffed - Caprese-style.

http://www.prouditaliancook.com/2013/06/caprese-style-portobellos.html

 

[teamfat]

Nutmeg plays well with mushrooms, if used in modest amounts.

mjb.

 

[chefross]

Scraping gills is only an appearance issue. For the family I don't. For guests I do. Herb suggestion: thyme or Rosemary, depending on what else is being served. Lemon thyme if you can get it. Fresh herbs always. (Sorry KK not disagreeing just expressing my experience with this). I've even gone with just parsley quite successfully.

For sure no peeling!

If using fresh herb sprinkle some on the finished product in addition to in the marinade.

Scraping the the gills DOES serve a purpose.

The gills can impart a bitter flavor when cooked.

That's why some of us scrape them.

Also note that mushrooms absorb huge amounts of oil or butter so go easy...you can always brush them with a little more while grilling them.

 

[jake t buds]

Scraping the the gills DOES serve a purpose.

The gills can impart a bitter flavor when cooked.

That's why some of us scrape them.

Also note that mushrooms absorb huge amounts of oil or butter so go easy...you can always brush them with a little more while grilling them.

I've scrapped and not scrapped gils. Tough to tell the difference other than texture, but maybe the portobello's I get all come from the same place so the variance in bitterness is minimal.

I'd also add that dressed arugula on top is a nice flavor compliment to the balsamic and goat cheese.

 

[cerise]

Dear Chef Talk friends,

I'm grilling Portobello mushrooms tonight. It's beautiful out. The thing is, I've never done this before. I've read some other Portobello posts on here, and some people suggest peeling them. I was thinking of throwing some olive oil on them, salt and pepper, some kind of herb (recommendations?) and adding some goat cheese on top of the gills. (So maybe the herb on top of the cheese?)

Any help would be great!

-tct

Your shrooms are probably a done deal by now. But, I never peel mushrooms. Clean them up, by method of choice. Depending on the size and application, I may or may not remove the gills. For larger shrooms, I opt for removing the gills, as they trap the dirt, and give an earthier or grittier taste & texture, & are good for stuffing (quail eggs, or whatever you like).