Recipe | braai with mighty meaty mushrooms

Why not try your hand at a mushroom braai this weekend, swopping your usual red meat for mushrooms.

Garlic and ginger portobello 'steaks' with kimchi mayonnaise

Serves 2-4

Ingredients

2 tbsp brown sugar
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp mirin, sake or rice wine
3 cloves garlic, crushed
3 tbsp spring onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp ginger, freshly minced or good store-bought prepared
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
4 fresh portobello (big brown) mushrooms, cleaned
1 cup good-quality mayonnaise
1-2 tbsp kimchi, chopped

Method

1. In a large ziplock bag, combine the sugar, soy, mirin, garlic, spring onion, ginger and sesame oil. Shake to combine, add the mushrooms and allow to marinate for 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, mix the mayonnaise and kimchi. Refrigerate.
3. Grill the mushrooms on a medium-hot braai, turning once, about 10 minutes. Serve each “steak” with a dollop of kimchi mayonnaise on top.

• What is kimchi? Kimchi is a delicious Korean spicy vegetable pickle – most often made from cabbage. It has a unique, bright, fresh flavour and tingling spiciness that will makes these mushroom steaks zing! Find it in the fridges at supermarkets, delis and health food shops, or make your own. Not your thing? Replace with chilli sauce).

Tandoori mushrooms

Serves 2-4

Ingredients

1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp paprika
½ tsp chilli powder or cayenne pepper
1 tsp salt
1 clove garlic, crushed
1½ tsp ginger, freshly grated or good store-bought prepared
150g plain yoghurt
500g fresh button or portabellini mushrooms, cleaned
4 wooden skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes
2 green peppers, cut into 2,5cm squares
1 onion, cut into 2cm petals
olive oil
handful coriander leaves
1 lemon, cut into wedges

Method

1. In a large ziplock bag, combine ground coriander, cumin, turmeric, paprika, chilli or cayenne, salt, garlic, ginger and yoghurt. Mix thoroughly. 2. Add mushrooms, making sure they are coated with the marinade. Set aside for 30 minutes to one hour.
3. Thread onto skewers, interleaving with green pepper squares and onion petals. Brush green pepper and onion with olive oil and braai the skewers, turning often, until done to your liking, about 12 minutes.
4. Serve with coriander leaves and lemon wedges.

Oriental mushroom tacos

Serves 4

Ingredients

4 fresh portobello (big brown) mushrooms, cleaned, or 500g button or portabellini mushrooms, cleaned and threaded onto wooden skewers that have been soaked in water for 30 minutes
3 tbsp Korean barbecue marinade (available at Woolworths), or other barbecue marinade of your choice
1 baby cabbage, finely shredded
1 carrot, grated ¼ red onion, finely sliced
1 tsp wasabi
6 tbsp good quality mayonnaise
4 soft tacos (any flat-bread will work)
½ avocado, sliced
handful coriander leaves
lemon wedges, grilled on the braai until carameliszed.

Method

1. Brush the mushrooms with the barbecue marinade and place straight onto a medium-hot braai, basting with more barbecue sauce as you go, and turning until mushrooms are cooked through, about 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, combine the cabbage, carrot, onion, wasabi and mayonnaise. 3. Toast soft tacos on the braai, a couple of seconds on each side.
4. Remove mushrooms from the braai, slice into thick strips, and divide between tacos. Top with slaw, avocado and coriander. Serve immediately.