Courgettes stuffed with mushrooms

‘Courgettes stuffed with mushrooms' is something different and a very distinguished way to cook courgettes.  It is a good vegetable dish to accompany meat and fish or it makes an excellent starter.

Preparation Time: 20 Mins

Cooking Time: 25 Mins

Total Time: 45 Mins

Ingredients

For 6 servings…

110 gms          Mushrooms

80 gms            Butter       

1 tbs               Onion juice

6                    Courgettes

140 ml             Breadcrumbs  - fresh white      

                      Pepper  - black, freshly ground 

                      Salt          

1 pinch            Cardamon  - ground  

60 gms            Parmesan cheese  - grated finely

Method

Chop the unpeeled but scalded mushrooms and their stalks.  Turn into a small pan with two-thirds of the butter and onion juice.  Cook over a low heat until the mushrooms collapse and juices run freely (about 5 minutes).

Top and tail the courgettes and, from each, cut off a slice down the length.  Chop up these “lids’ and’ add to the mushrooms. Steam the whole courgettes until just tender (about 10 minutes).  Scoop out all the soft interior flesh, chop and add to the mushrooms.

Set the hollowed-out courgettes like spokes of a wheel on a shallow, lightly-oiled heat-resistant dish.  Work the breadcrumbs into the mushroom mixture until smoothly blended.  Taste and correct seasoning with salt, black pepper and one pinch of ground cardamom.  Pack the mixture into the hollowed-out courgette cases, doming the mixture slightly on top.  Scatter on the Parmesan, dot with a flake or two of butter and bake at 180°C until delicately browned (about 10 minutes).

Wine recommendations

Conventional

     Côte Chalonnaise

Interesting

     Jurançon sec

     Vin de pays Charentais blanc, rosé or rouge

     Vouvray sec