About this recipe

✨

Recipe highlight

Why you’ll love it

Juicy mushrooms, creamy cheese, smoky ajvar, garlic, and walnuts make this Balkan appetizer bold, warm, and impossible to leave alone. 🍄

Ingredients

• Mushroom base 🍄
• 🍄 500 g large brown mushrooms, stems removed (16–18 pieces / 1.1 lb)
• 🫒 30 ml olive oil (2 tbsp / 1 fl oz)
• 🧂 4 g fine sea salt (¾ tsp / 0.14 oz)
• ⚫ 1 g black pepper (½ tsp / 0.04 oz)
• 🍋 10 ml lemon juice (2 tsp / 0.34 fl oz)
• Ajvar cheese filling 🧀
• 🧀 180 g white brined cheese or feta, crumbled (1½ cups / 6.3 oz) dairy
• 🌶 90 g ajvar (⅓ cup + 1 tbsp / 3.2 oz)
• 🥣 50 g thick yogurt or sour cream (3 tbsp / 1.8 oz) dairy
• 🧄 8 g garlic, finely grated (2 cloves / 0.28 oz)
• 🌰 40 g walnuts, finely chopped (⅓ cup / 1.4 oz)
• 🌿 15 g fresh parsley, chopped (½ cup / 0.5 oz)
• 🌶 2 g sweet paprika (1 tsp / 0.07 oz)
• ⚫ 1 g black pepper (½ tsp / 0.04 oz)
• Finish ✨
• 🫒 20 ml olive oil (1 tbsp + 1 tsp / 0.68 fl oz)
• 🌶 2 g sweet paprika (1 tsp / 0.07 oz)
• 🌿 5 g fresh parsley, chopped (2 tbsp / 0.18 oz)
• 🌰 10 g walnuts, crushed (1 tbsp / 0.35 oz)
• 🥖 300 g warm crusty bread, for serving (10.6 oz) gluten

Preparation

• Prepare the mushrooms 🍄 Heat the oven to 210°C (410°F). Clean the mushrooms with a damp towel, remove the stems, and place the caps on a parchment-lined baking tray.
• Season and pre-roast 🔥 Brush the mushrooms with olive oil, then season with salt, black pepper, and lemon juice. Roast for 8 min so they soften slightly and release a little moisture.
• Mix the filling 🧀 In a bowl, combine crumbled white brined cheese, ajvar, yogurt, garlic, walnuts, parsley, sweet paprika, and black pepper. Mix until creamy but still textured.
• Fill generously 🥄 Remove the mushrooms from the oven and carefully spoon away any excess liquid from the caps. Fill each mushroom with the ajvar cheese mixture, mounding it slightly.
• Bake until golden 🍄 Return the stuffed mushrooms to the oven and bake for 12–14 min, until the filling is hot, the edges are lightly golden, and the mushrooms look juicy and glossy.
• Make paprika oil 🌶 Warm olive oil in a small pan for 30 sec. Add sweet paprika and stir for 5–8 sec, then remove from the heat immediately so the paprika stays fragrant and does not burn.
• Finish and serve ✨ Drizzle the warm paprika oil over the stuffed mushrooms. Sprinkle with parsley and crushed walnuts. Serve warm with crusty bread.

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