A Simple South African Braai Side: Stuffed Mushrooms

Ah, the good old fashioned braai mushroom! We’ve all have a taste of one of these at some point in our South African lives, but how do we recreate the same mouthwatering taste, time and again? Many might say that a braai mushroom can be “hit and miss”. Sometimes they come out delicious and other times they are simply watery and average. What’s the secret? They secret is a fail-proof recipe!

 

The History of Stuffed Mushrooms

Before we share 3 of our favourite braai stuffed mushroom recipes with you, let’s take a look at where and how the stuffed braai mushroom rose to such undeniable fame in South Africa. It’s safe to say that the stuffed mushroom is not a creation of South Africa, however the braai stuffed mushroom is – Yup, we made it our own! The history of stuffed mushrooms is fairly interesting. Depending on who you ask, stuffed mushrooms first made their debut in the 19^th or the early 20^th Century.

It was in France in the 19^th Century where mushrooms were first promoted and cultivated for consumption. It seemed bizarre back then but over time, it simply became the norm. Back in those days, nothing too fancy was done with the mushroom. It was simply eaten or cooked and eaten…until the Italians got creative. It is said that in the 19^th and early 20^th Century, Italian foodies started stuffing mushrooms much like they did zucchini, at that time. And so who do we owe thanks to for our version of the stuffed mushroom? The Italians of course!

 

Stuffed mushroom recipe

Braai Stuffed Mushrooms for Everyone!

The good news is that there is a stuffed mushroom recipe for all types of South Africans. And it doesn’t matter where in the world you are, you should be able to easily gather everything you need from your local grocery store to make mushrooms on the braai. We are going to share with you 3 types of mushroom braai side dishes that can be incorporated into any braai spread! Below is a stuffed braai mushroom recipe for everyone – simply take your pick.

 

The Meaty Braai Mushroom | Bacon, Spinach, and Cream Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms

This is a South African braai recipe known as a favourite to many meat eaters.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNIiEa__aKc

 

What you need:

• 4 to 6 large brown mushrooms. You could also use 12 brown mushrooms. Remove the stalks, but keep them to one side.
• 250ml of fresh rocket
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 packet (250g) of diced bacon
• 100g of shredded baby spinach
• 1 tablespoon of cake flour
• 250g of plain cream cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup of bread crumbs (fresh)

 

What you need to do:

• Make sure your braai fire is medium to hot temperature.
• Chop the removed mushroom stalks finely.
• First, you need to make the filling. Start by heating oil in a frying pan.
• Fry bacon until crispy and remove from the pan. Drain the oil from the bacon bits while retaining the left over oil in the pain.
• Add the chopped mushroom stalks to the pan and saute until it is soft.
• Add the spinach and fry until it is wilted.
• Now, simply add the flour to the pan and combine well with the vegetables to make a mushy type of consistency.
• Remove the pan from the heat and before allowing to cool, add the cream cheese and the bacon. The heat will melt the cheese, forming a thick and creamy sauce in the pan. Mix well and add the salt and pepper for a bit of taste.
• Spoon the creamy sauce mixture into the mushrooms.
• Mix the Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs together and sprinkle on the top of the mushroom.
• Pop these onto the braai and allow to cook gently until the filling is bubbling and the mushroom is tender to eat.
• Adding some fresh rocket will add a refreshing flavour for the taste buds.

 

The Vegetarian Braai Mushroom | Feta Stuffed Braai Mushrooms

If you’re not one to eat meat, then a vegetarian braai mushroom might be more for you. Here’s a great feta stuffed braai mushroom recipe to try.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0mwGDb6fa4

 

What you need:

• 8 medium sized braai mushrooms
• Feta cheese
• 1/2 tablespoon of fresh Italian parsley finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil
• 1 teaspoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon of ground cayenne pepper

 

What you need to do:

• Remove the stalks from the mushrooms.
• Mince the tender part of the mushroom stalks and place them in a bowl.
• Add the feta cheese, olive oil, parsley, lemon juice, and ground cayenne pepper to the same bowl with the mushroom stalks and mix well.
• Once well mixed, spoon the mixture into the mushrooms. Try to create mounds in the center so that you don’t lose too much mixture when the cooking starts.
• Add salt and pepper to taste and pop them onto the braai for around 15 minutes.
• When the mushrooms are tender and the filling is melty and gooey, they are perfect to eat.

 

The Vegan Braai Mushroom | Wild Brown Rice, Garlic, Walnut, & Vegan Parmesan Stuffed Mushrooms

Vegan braai mushrooms are probably the tastiest of all the stuffed mushrooms for the braai, although they do take a little more effort. Below is our favourite recipe.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akNeRAdX5BU

 

What you need:

• 1/2 cup of wild brown rice
• 3/4 cup of vegetable stock
• 8 braai mushrooms (remove the stalks and keep to one side)
• 1/4 cup of vegan Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup of crushed raw walnuts
• 1 and 1/2 grated or minced garlic
• 1 and 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil.

 

What you need to do:

• Cook the rice in a small pot, but add the veggie stock for flavour. Cook rice until the liquid is fully absorbed, which can take around 25 to 35 minutes.
• While the rice is cooking, toast the walnuts on a baking sheet in the oven for around 5 minutes and then set to one side.
• Drizzle the mushrooms with olive oil and set to one side.
• Once the rice is cooked, separate it and fluff it up using a fork.
• Add the vegan Parmesan cheese, toasted walnuts, minced garlic and olive oil to the fluffed rice and stir it in. Taste the mixture for flavour and add salt and other herbs as wanted. Now is your chance to add more vegan cheese!
• Spoon the rice mixture into the mushrooms generously and top with a bit more Parmesan cheese. Pop these onto the braai and bake until the cheese starts to turn golden brown and the mushrooms are tender.
• All that’s left to do is serve them and enjoy!

 

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