Portobello French Dip

I am going to tell a story. This is a story that involves me and my dislike previous dislike for mushrooms. I don't know what it was or what finally clicked, but I seriously did NOT like mushrooms. Ask my parents... I wouldn't touch dinner if it had mushrooms. I guess I did get better over time... simply picking them out of my food(like a non spoiled brat),but I never liked them. Have I said I didn't like 'em? Then all of a sudden, out of the blue I thought ...what the hell... I'll give it another go. And a like was born. A like? Really? Yes... sadly I am still not in love, but maybe one day. Anyway... why all this talk about mushrooms? Weeelllll... Wubby and I have a friend who really wanted me to blog a vegetarian dish. This friend (Leah) even told us of restaurants in Seattle that she likes to eat at. After talking about it for two days Wubby and I settled on a Portobello mushroom french dip. We found the recipe and off we go!






Taken from We Heart Food (and Cafe Flora in Seattle, Wa)

Sandwich:

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 3 Portobello mushrooms (reserve stems for au jus)
• salt
• freshly ground pepper
• 1 large yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 1 rustic baguette
• 4 slices Swiss (or whatever cheese you like)
• French Dip Spread (recipe below)
• 1 1/2 cups Mushroom au jus (recipe below)

   

Preheat your oven to 350. Cut the stems off your Portobello mushrooms. Place the caps on a baking sheet. Mix 2 tablespoons of the oil and garlic in a small bowl. Brush over the mushroom caps and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Make sure to cover both sides. Place them (gill side down) in the oven and cook for 25 minutes. You can also grill these outside if you don't want to turn your oven on (think... middle of summer). If cooking these on the grill make sure to keep a careful eye on them. They will cook faster here.

 

While the mushrooms cook, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in a saute pan. Add the onions and cook over medium until they begin to soften. Season with salt and pepper. After about 5 minutes, turn the heat to low and continue to cook for 15 to 20 minutes stirring occasionally. (About half way through cooking I add two tablespoons of balsamic vinegar. It gives the onions an AWESOME tang.)

Spread:

• 1/2 tsp olive oil
• 1 small shallot, minced
• 1/2 tsp minced garlic
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh herbs(I used parsley and oregano)
• 2 tbsp white wine
• 1/4 lb (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature
• Salt
• Fresh ground pepper

 

Heat the oil in a small pan. Add the shallot, garlic, and herbs and saute for 2 minutes. Add the wine and cook until it has almost all evaporated. Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature. Once the mixture has cooled add it to the soft butter and combine. Add salt and pepper to taste.

 

Mushroom Au Jus:

• 1/2 pound whole mushrooms and/or stems
• 6 cloves garlic, lightly crushed
• 1 1/2 tablespoons tamari

 

   

Combine the mushrooms, garlic, and 6 cups of water in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat to a simmer. Continue to simmer for 1 1/2 hours. The liquid should be reduced to 1 1/2 to 2 cups. Strain the mushrooms out of the liquid. Add the tamari and mix. Keep warm.

Putting it together:

 

 

 

   

When the roasted (or grilled) mushrooms have cooled, slice them thinly. You should get between 8 and 10 slices. Grab the baguette and slice it into quarters. Slice each 1/4 in half horizontally. Place your spread on each half. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and place as many halves (spread side down) as fit. Cook for about 3 minutes. Repeat this until all of your halves are cooked. Begin to assemble your sandwich by placing the mushrooms and onions on one half of each sandwich. Next place a slice of swiss (or whatever cheese sounds good to you) on top. Place these on a baking sheet and pop them in the oven at 350 for 10 minutes. Place the other half on top of each sandwich and continue to bake for another 3 minutes. Cut each sandwich in half and serve with about 1/3 cup of au jus.