Peter Gordon's Crusty Baked Wasabi Mushrooms Recipe

This lovely dinner party recipe makes a great sharer, starter, or could even be whipped up for lunch or brunch - it's so versatile!

HOW TO MAKE CRUSTY BAKED WASABI MUSHROOMS

Recipe taken from Savour: Salads for all Seasons by Peter Gordon. Photographs by Lisa Linder. Published by Jacqui Small, £25.

Ingredients

• 8 portabello mushrooms
• 70g butter
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• ½tsp finely chopped rosemary
• 1½tsp wasabi paste (more or less to taste)
• 150g coarse white breadcrumbs (or use Japanese panko crumbs)
• 3 large tomatoes, blanched and peeled
• 2 oranges, peeled and pith removed, segments removed and any juice saved
• 3tbsp coarsely shredded dill
• 1tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 150g baby spinach or other baby salad leaf
• 4 large free-range eggs, soft boiled and peeled

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 170C, gas 4. If the mushrooms have thick stalks, then cut them out and thinly slice. If they have a thick skin, you may want to peel them. Lay the mushrooms in one or two baking dishes, open side facing up.
2. Heat the butter in a frying pan over a medium heat with the garlic, rosemary and sliced mushroom stalks (if using) and cook until the garlic turns golden, stirring frequently. Remove the pan from the heat. Mix the wasabi paste with 1tbsp water to form a paste and stir into the butter. Stir in the breadcrumbs thoroughly. Spoon this mixture on top of the mushrooms and bake until the crumbs are golden, about 20 minutes.
3. Cut the tomatoes in half crossways and gently squeeze out the seeds, or use a teaspoon to scoop them out. Cut the tomato flesh into chunks and mix with the orange segments and juice. Add the dill and olive oil, season with salt and coarse black pepper and stir together.
4. To serve, divide the spinach among your plates and sit the mushrooms on top. Spoon on the tomato and orange and then, using a coarse grater, grate the eggs over the top.