RECIPE TITLE "Leek, Fennel, and Goat Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms"
Author: Martha Stewart's Hors d'oeuvres Handbook ©1999 Martha Stewart

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Makes 2 Dozen ---easy

Stuffed Mushrooms, often filled with a mixture of crabmeat and bread crumbs, are perhaps one of the most familiar and best-loved hors d'oeuvres--and for good reason. They are perfectly shaped, charming containers for all kinds of interesting fillings, and their woodsy undertone is just subtle enough to gently flavor whatever they are carrying. For perfect stuffed mushrooms, choose the freshest white mushrooms you can find, free of blemishes and about the size of a silver dollar in diameter. Serve them hot.

  RECIPE INGREDIENTS

Fennel, also called anise, has a slight licorice flavor. Fennel bulbs vary greatly in size, depending on the season. Buy a very small bulb, about 1 pound, for this recipe.

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
14 of a small fennel bulb, trimmed, thinly shaved on a mandoline, and roughly chopped
1 small leek, white and light green parts, cut into 1-inch pieces, well washed
34 teaspoon ground coriander
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
4 ounces fresh goat cheese
1 recipe Golden Mushroom Caps (see below)

  RECIPE METHOD

1. Heat the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the fennel and the leeks and cook until softened, 5 to 8 minutes. Add the coriander and season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a large plate to cool. Reserve 2 tablespoons for garnish.

2. Heat the oven to broil with the rack in the center. Mash the goat cheese into the leek-fennel mixture until well combined. Use a small spoon to fill each mushroom cap with the filling. Place the caps on a baking sheet and broil until hot throughout, about 1 minute. Garnish each with a bit ofthe reserved leek-fennel mixture. Serve hot.

Roasting mushroom caps at high heat brings out their inherent deep flavor, so they taste much better when stuffed. Buy mushrooms with caps small enough to eat in one bite, about 14 inches in diameter. If you use larger mushroom caps, buy fewer, or there will not be enough filling to stuff them.

24 small button mushrooms
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. remove the stems from the mushrooms and reserve if they are used in the filling. Use a damp cloth or mushroom brush to clean the mushrooms. Brush each mushroom with the olive oil . Add salt and pepper to taste.

2. Place the mushrooms, cap-side up, on a baking sheet. roast until the mushrooms are golden and their liquid begins to seep from the cavity, 6 to 7 minutes. Place cap-side up on paper towels to drain. The mushroom caps can be stored in an air-tight container for up to 4 hours.

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