Uncle Roy’s Stuffed Mushrooms

Uncle Roy’s Stuffed Mushrooms
Ingredients: As many large mushrooms as you want to make. This is an appetizer, so don’t let your
stomach overload your brain. Figure two or three per person depending on what other appetizers you
will serve. Prosciutto Ham, thin sliced. Figure 1 small (4‐5” square) slice for every four or five
mushrooms. Italian Bread crumbs. We now make our own out of wheat bread instead of the store
bought variety, but, you can use whatever you want. Homemade is easy; chop dry bread into crumbs,
and add Italian seasoning to taste. There you have it. Butter or margarine and/or Olive Oil. (We use
only extra virgin olive oil, or as Rachal Ray says, use EVOO). Salt and Pepper to taste. If you’ve ever
watched a cooking show, you know they say to season with everything salt and pepper to bring out the
taste or it isn’t any good. I think they’re right, so do it. Just go easy with the salt because the prosciutto
is salty enough to start with.
Clean the mushrooms and remove the stems. Clean them anyway you like. Brush the stuff off, wash it
off, or however you get that crap (really – did you know that’s manure and dirt?) that comes with them
off, get it off. Set the stems aside and coat the mushroom caps with a mixture of softened butter and
olive oil and place the mushrooms in a pre‐buttered or olive oil greased baking dish so the cap part is
upside down and the part where the stem was is on top so you can put stuff back into it. See, this is why
they are called “stuffed” mushrooms.
Now get those stems you set aside and chop them up into little bitty pieces. Fine diced is the way it is
properly said, but get ‘em small. Set them aside again. Now, chop or slice or tear or however you can
do it, turn the prosciutto into the same kind of small pieces. We’ve found if it is really fresh it is tougher
to do, and freezing the slices beforehand makes them easier to chop up. Set them aside.
Saute the stems in a large enough (you are going to add more stuff ) sauté pan over a hot flame, add
some salt and pepper to taste (remember about the salty ham coming) and when they start to get
tender and reduce slightly, add the prosciutto pieces and get the mixture hot. That’s enough, it’s
already cooked, so don’t make it tough, then add some Italian bread crumbs and mix into the mixture
until you think it will form a little spoonful or so that will stick together like a snowball. If it’s too thin,
add more breadcrumbs, if it’s too dry add a little more olive oil. When it’s ready, let it cool.
When it’s cool enough to handle without burning your tender little fingers, use a spoon and spoon the
mixture into the waiting mushrooms sitting there patiently waiting to FINALLY get stuffed. Spread the
mixture out evenly over all the mushrooms. They should form a little mound in the mushroom. Don’t
get real anal about this, because you’ll probably screw up this first time and then you’ll be better and
more experienced the next time. You’ll be a pro by then.
When they are all evenly stuffed, set them aside and cover until you are ready to bake them for 12
minutes in a 350 degree oven. Serve immediately. These can be made ahead of time, even the day
before, but add a few minutes to the cooking time if you’ve refrigerated them for any length of time.
(See, they’re colder and will take a few minutes longer ‐ us experienced cooks know that kind of stuff,
so pay attention.)
Serve immediately, and get ready for your guests to rant and rave over these, and be ready to
disappoint a few people who get there late and there aren’t any left. Let your guests tell them what
they missed. Really!