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The Portabella Mushroom Flower

An excerpt from the soon to be published

�The Men�s Guide to Cooking for Your Date
�and her friends, her family and yourself when she�s not there�

By Jimmy �Z� Zaleski

The following recipe may work too well if you have decided to stay a bachelor indefinitely.� On our first date my now fianc�e was very impressed by this recipe and I did not even make the dish!� We were in the middle of our appetizer at the Rosebud on Rush restaurant in Chicago and after a couple glasses of wine I described the portabella mushroom flower.� To this day she claims that the description of this dish was the clincher in her decision to keep me around for dessert.

The Portabella Mushroom Flower is a simple and delicious appetizer that will set the tone for a great evening.� When done properly the portabella mushroom has the taste of a perfect filet mignon with a little softer texture and is soft on the palate.� A bold red wine will complement this appetizer.� I recommend Gato Negro, a nice Chilean wine that will stand up to the garlic and butter base of the dish while not taking a bite out of your wallet.

What you will need:

One Portabella Mushroom (whole approximately 5-7 inches in diameter)
1/2 stick of butter
1 or 2 cloves of fresh garlic (or 1 teaspoon of minced or powdered garlic)
Salt

Use a cast iron skillet if you have one available.� This will allow you to go straight from the stove to the oven.� Begin by setting the oven to preheat at 350 degrees and melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in the skillet over a medium heat, set the last tablespoon aside for later.� As the butter is melting, rinse off the portabella.� Do this gently, it can break and this will ruin the presentation.�

Afterward pat the mushroom dry with a paper towel and set aside.� If you�re using fresh garlic, shave the clove into very thin slices so it will dissolve in the butter.� This was described in the movie Goodfellas and works very well for this dish.� If you�re using powdered or minced garlic, generously sprinkle into the melted butter. �Place the portabella in the skillet and saut� for approximately 20 minutes, turning occasionally to expose both sides of the mushroom to the garlic butter.� The mushroom should end up stem side down. Turn the mushroom gently, making sure not to break it.

After the mushroom has soaked up the majority of the butter, take a sharp steak knife and make 5-6 slices starting about a half inch off the center and cutting outward. NOTE: Do not cut the mushroom in half and do not connect the cuts. Place the remaining piece of butter on top in the center of the mushroom.� After making the cuts move the mushroom from the stove to the oven.� If you are using a cast iron skillet simply place the skillet in the stove.� If your not using a stove proof skillet move the mushroom to a casserole dish prior to making the cuts and pour the remaining butter into the dish with the mushroom.�

Bake the mushroom for approximately 15 minutes.� Now is probably a good time to start the main course for dinner.� When the cuts have opened up and some of the meat inside is visible, the mushroom is ready to be transferred to a plate.� It is a good idea to serve with small toast squares or a loaf of French bread cut into slices.� Use the bread to soak up the garlic butter.� This is a restaurant-quality appetizer when done correctly.� The amount of butter and garlic can be changed to individual taste.� Bon Appetit!

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