CHICKEN-FRIED PORTOBELLO WITH MUSHROOM AND SHALLOT GRAVY

I used to eat chicken-fried steak all the time when I was a kid. My grandmother would make it, and we’d have the same conversation every time. “What is it, Mamaw?” I’d ask, “Chicken or steak?” She would joke around and tell me it was both. Though her food was always delicious, I like this meatless version best. A meaty portobello mushroom stands in for steak in our vegetarian take on a Southern classic.

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon sea salt flakes

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon cracked black pepper

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

2 large eggs, beaten

2 tablespoons heavy cream

3 medium portobello mushrooms

1 cup canola oil

Mushroom and Shallot Gravy (recipe follows)

¼ cup finely chopped fresh parsley

Combine the flour with the salt, garlic powder, pepper, and paprika in a bowl large enough to accommodate one mushroom at a time. In a separate bowl combine the eggs and cream.

Trim the mushrooms by removing the stems and the part of the cap that hangs over the gill side. (Doing this will create a flat surface, which will make it much easier to panfry the mushrooms.) Reserve the trimmings because you will use them in the gravy.

Heat the oil to medium-high in a 12-inch frying pan. Depending on the size of the mushrooms, this pan should accommodate all three at once. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Now, batter the mushrooms using a three-step process: toss them in the flour mixture, coat them with the egg mixture, and then coat again in the flour mixture. This should help plenty of spiced flour to adhere to the mushroom. Fry the mushrooms for 2 minutes per side or until golden brown.

Place the mushrooms on a baking sheet and finish cooking them through in the oven. This should take 15 minutes, which is the perfect amount of time to make the gravy. To serve, smother each mushroom with the Mushroom and Shallot Gravy and garnish with chopped parsley.

Makes 2 servings.

MUSHROOM AND SHALLOT GRAVY

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1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Trimmings from the mushrooms, finely chopped

½ cup shallots, minced

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

¾ cup broth (preferably mushroom)

½ cup 2% milk

Sea salt flakes (to taste)

½ teaspoon cracked black pepper

Melt the butter in a 10-inch frying pan over medium heat. Add the trimmings and shallots. Once the shallots are translucent, add the flour and cook until nutty and fragrant. Add the broth and milk as you whisk. Slowly bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat to low. The gravy should be thick like pancake batter after a few minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Makes 2 cups.