SERVES 4
SKILL LEVEL: EASY
COOK TIME: 25 MINS.
PREP TIME: 20 MINS.
COST: $
Calling all meat eaters! This tempura mushroom burger is guaranteed to make the most committed carnivore swoon. There are tons of veggie burgers out there—cashew curry burgers, grain-based burgers, tofu burgers—but if I had to pick one, this gets my vote. The secret is portabella mushroom and crunchy tempura. When you put it in a burger with all the toppings and condiments, it nearly fools your palate into thinking that it’s meat. Deep-thinking chefs say that’s because it has that mysterious flavor called umami. If you’re not familiar with umami, it’s the Japanese word for “yummy.” Finally, topping with a roasted garlic and tarragon aioli puts my burger’s flavor off the charts.
8 portabella mushroom caps, plus 2 cups portabella stems, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 shallots, minced
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
½ teaspoon salt
3 egg whites, stiffly beaten
1 cup seltzer
Vegetable oil, for frying
4 onion brioche buns
Garlic Tarragon Aioli (recipe follows)
16 toothpicks
Lettuce
Tomato
1. Preheat the oven to 350 °F.
2. Place the mushroom caps on a baking sheet and put in the oven for 12–15 minutes, until soft. This helps take moisture out of the mushroom for a better fry. Remove the mushrooms from the oven and pat dry excess moisture.
3. In a medium sauté pan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the portabella stems and shallots. Sauté for 2–3 minutes. Cool mixture and set aside.
4. To make the tempura batter, combine the dry ingredients. Fold in the stiff egg whites and then seltzer.
5. Fill each portabella mushroom cap with the mushroom-shallot mixture. Make a sandwich with another cap, and secure with toothpicks. Dip in the tempura batter, and fry in oil at about 360 °F.
6. Place the fried mushroom caps on a toasted onion bun with aioli and eat ’em up!
1 head garlic
Salt
Pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup mayo
2 tablespoons fresh tarragon, chopped
1. Cut a head of garlic in half along the equator and place on a piece of foil. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil, then fold the foil over garlic to form a pouch. Roast until tender, about 15–20 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. Remove the pulp of the garlic from the head, and place in a blender or food processor. Add the mayo and the tarragon, and puree until smooth.
Emeril and Carla demonstrate some classic Southern cooking.