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Portobello Mushrooms au Poivre, Grilled (D, TNT)
Source: The Reluctant Gourmet
Serves: 4

1 lb. shallots, finely chopped
1 oz. butter (1/4 stick)
1 tablespoon cracked peppercorns
1/2 cup red wine
1-1/2 oz. any good tasting dry veggie powder
5 fl. oz. hot water
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
Salt to taste
Marinade (I used olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper)
5 large Portobello mushrooms
Spray olive oil in a can

Make Au Poivre Sauce:
Start by heating the butter over medium high heat and sautéing the shallots until translucent. Deglaze with red wine, add peppercorns, and reduce until most of the wine is gone. Add the veggie powder and hot water stirring (with a whisk if you have one) constantly until the powder is dissolved. Simmer until the sauce has thickened enough to coat a spoon, approximately 6 to 8 minutes. Add finely chopped parsley, stir, and serve over the sliced Portobellos.

Grill Portabello Mushrooms:
De-stem the mushrooms and marinate the tops for a least an hour. Heat your grill to medium hot. When the grill is ready, spray it with the olive oil in a can to prevent the mushrooms from sticking. Grill the mushrooms for approximately 4 to 5 minutes per side. Slice (1/2" strips) and serve with the au Poivre sauce.

Poster's Notes:
I was excited about trying to create a tasty au poivre sauce without a meat base. My friends loved the combination and were amazed at both the richness and flavor the sauce added to the mushrooms. I served the dish with sautéed spinach with pine nuts (my wife has this down to a science), couscous, and a salad of mixed greens with asparagus. We served a Californian Pinot Noir that complemented the peppery sauce wonderfully.

Reluctant Gourmet's Tips
Cracked pepper corns: I opted for putting the peppercorns in a zip lock bag and cracking them on my cutting board with a hammer. Noisy, but it worked. Otherwise, set your pepper mill to course grain instead.

Try some spray olive oil in a can, its great anytime you grill.

Posted by Larry Kluger

Nutritional Info Per Serving: N/A