Shrimp-Stuffed Mushrooms
This snack is a true delicacy, especially since mushrooms are recently so hard to come by.
Make sure to use brown mushrooms for this dish. As you know, certain types of mushroom are highly toxic, and unless you are an expert at knowing which of the more exotic fungi can be eaten, steer clear! Recently, a lot of mushroom hunters have been seen with bags full of glowing green mushrooms. While we’ve heard reports of these being safe to eat, observe the above tenet if you really want to be safe.
12 medium or large mushrooms
1/2 lb. bay shrimp, cooked and diced (not the big shrimp with the tentacles out in Bayou)
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 to 4 cloves garlic
1/3 cup chopped onion
Italian parsley
2/3 cup fresh, soft breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
2 teaspoons lemon juice
salt and pepper
Tabasco (optional)
Examine the mushrooms for signs of glow. Remove the stems and set aside. Clean the mushrooms with a proper mushroom brush to remove all dirt and sediment. We all know where those things like to grow!
Lightly brush them with olive oil and place them cap-down in a 9×13 baking dish.
Sauté the garlic and onion in 1 tablespoon oil for about 5 minutes, until golden.
Put breadcrumbs, lemon zest, parsley, and mayonnaise into a medium-sized bowl and mix in the shrimp and the garlic/onion mixture. Salt and pepper to taste. Add a dash of Tabasco if desired!
Heap the breadcrumb mixture into the mushroom caps until all are full. It’s okay if some spills over. After baking, this makes tasty browned crumbles to spoon on top of the stuffed mushrooms.
Bake the stuffed mushrooms at 350°F for 25-30 minutes, until cooked through and golden.
Examine the mushrooms again for glow. Place on a platter as hors d’oeuvres, or put a few atop salad greens with a drizzle of lemon dressing as a main dish.
Should you start to feel strange powers or notice glow after your shrimp-stuffed mushrooms, do not swim in the river. Leave town immediately, and go to the doctor in Houston or San Francisco.
Once a Bayou bait shop owner serving the best leeches and pie, these days Miss RMarie Beedit can be found in the St. Louis Cemetery, looking for night crawlers and shiny pennies.