Portobello Burgers make a wonderful light lunch or supper served with a Caesar salad. Or, cut each burger into quarters and skewer with a toothpick for a great appetizer.
- 8 large portobello mushrooms, cleaned, stems and gills removed
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 large red, ripe tomatoes, slightly firm, cut into ½-inch-thick slices
- Pinch granulated sugar
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
- 8 large crusty rolls, cut in half
- 1 cup Roasted Garlic Aioli (recipe below)
Brush mushrooms with half of the oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill or broil on a preheated grill or broiler pan until soft, about 5 minutes on each side. Transfer to a warm platter.
Brush tomatoes with the remaining oil. Sprinkle each slice with salt, pepper, sugar, garlic and chopped basil. Grill until soft, about 2 minutes on each side.
Toast rolls until lightly brown in color. Spread Roasted Garlic Aioli (below) on both sides of each roll; place the mushrooms on the bottoms, then top with the tomato slices. Replace the roll tops and serve warm.
Makes 8 burgers or 32 appetizersRoasted Garlic Aioli
- 1 head garlic (or more, to taste)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
- Salt and freshly ground white pepper, to taste
Preheat oven to 375°F. Slice off the top quarter of the garlic head to expose all of the cloves. Place the head of garlic in a clay garlic roaster or oven-safe roasting dish. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast in the preheated oven until soft, about 1 hour. When cool enough to handle, apply pressure to the base of the head and squeeze out the pulp; discard the skins.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk roasted garlic pulp, mayonnaise and chopped parsley until completely incorporated; season to taste with salt and pepper.
Makes about 1 cup
