Chef Isabel
Albergínies Farcides Mallorquines
Albergínies farcides are Mallorca's summer stuffed aubergines: tender boiled shells, a slow pork sofrito with moraduix, and a plain breadcrumb cap baked until the top turns crisp and golden.
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Champiñones Rellenos de Jamón Castellanos
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Champiñones rellenos de jamón are Castilian bar cooking: mushroom caps, a small jamón sofrito, and quail egg, with one rule that matters. Roast the caps first so they give up their water.
Appetizers & Snacks
Spanish
Dinner Party
Game Day
Special Occasion
20 min
Active Time
25 min cook•45 min total
Yield24 stuffed mushrooms
Champiñones rellenos de jamón are Castilian bar cooking, from the inland larder that knows what to do with mushrooms, garlic, parsley, and a little cured ham. They are not a grand dish. Good. A mushroom cap holds a spoon of jamón sofrito, the slow onion base, and a quail egg sets on top just enough to tremble. That is plenty.
The method that decides them is not the filling. It is the mushroom. Roast the caps hollow-side down first, so they shed their water before you ask them to hold anything. Skip that and the tray floods, the filling slides, and you get a damp mouthful instead of a firm one. Ten minutes now saves the whole dish later.
If you are far from Spain, use a dry-cured ham cut thin and chopped small, not smoked ham. Prosciutto works at a pinch, though it is sweeter and softer than jamón serrano, so use a little less salt. No quail eggs where you are? Beat one hen's egg with a pinch of salt and spoon a teaspoon over each cap. It will not have the same little yolk, but it will set and hold the filling.
Keep the sofrito low until the onion is dark gold and sticky, then fold in the mushroom stems and jamón. My Margin beside this one says only, "cap primero," cap first. Sensible woman. Siempre sale, si lo sigues.
Stuffed mushrooms belong naturally to Castilian bar cooking, especially the inland belt where cultivated champiñones and cured pork meet the garlic-and-parsley habits of the home kitchen. La Rioja and Castilla both have strong mushroom traditions, with simple bar servings built around the cap, the plancha, and a small salty filling rather than heavy sauces. The quail egg is a later but familiar bar finish, useful because its size fits the mushroom without drowning it.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
large white or cremini mushrooms
Quantity
24, about 650g total
wiped clean, stems removed and finely chopped
olive oil
Quantity
3 tablespoons
divided
small onion
Quantity
1, about 120g
finely chopped
garlic
Quantity
2 cloves
finely chopped
jamón serrano
Quantity
80g
finely chopped
dry white wine
Quantity
40ml
fresh breadcrumbs
Quantity
25g
flat-leaf parsley
Quantity
2 tablespoons, plus more to finish
chopped
quail eggs
Quantity
24
sweet pimentón
Quantity
1/2 teaspoon
fine salt
Quantity
1/2 teaspoon, plus more as needed
black pepper
Quantity
to taste
freshly ground
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| large white or cremini mushroomswiped clean, stems removed and finely chopped | 24, about 650g total |
| olive oildivided | 3 tablespoons |
| small onionfinely chopped | 1, about 120g |
| garlicfinely chopped | 2 cloves |
| jamón serranofinely chopped | 80g |
| dry white wine | 40ml |
| fresh breadcrumbs | 25g |
| flat-leaf parsleychopped | 2 tablespoons, plus more to finish |
| quail eggs | 24 |
| sweet pimentón | 1/2 teaspoon |
| fine salt | 1/2 teaspoon, plus more as needed |
| black pepperfreshly ground | to taste |
Equipment Needed
- •Rimmed baking tray
- •Small frying pan
- •Small cup for cracking quail eggs
- •Paring knife
Instructions
- 1
Prepare the caps
Heat the oven to 200C. Wipe the mushrooms clean with a damp cloth, pull out the stems, and finely chop the stems for the filling. Toss the caps with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and a little black pepper. Set them hollow-side down on a baking tray.
- 2
Roast them dry
Roast the caps hollow-side down for 10 minutes, until they have relaxed and given off their water. Lift them to a plate, pour the liquid off the tray, and turn the caps hollow-side up. This is the step that keeps the mushrooms firm instead of watery. Do it now and they behave later.
If the caps are very large and wet, give them 2 more minutes hollow-side down. Mushrooms vary. The tray should not be swimming when you fill them. - 3
Cook the sofrito
Warm 2 tablespoons olive oil in a frying pan over medium-low heat. Add the onion with a pinch of salt and cook 10 to 12 minutes, stirring often, until it turns dark gold and sticky. Add the chopped mushroom stems and cook another 5 minutes, until their water has gone. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more, just until it smells sweet.
- 4
Finish the filling
Stir in the chopped jamón and cook 1 minute, no longer; jamón toughens if you punish it. Add the wine and let it bubble until the pan is nearly dry. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the breadcrumbs, parsley, sweet pimentón, and a few turns of black pepper. Taste before salting again, because the jamón may have done the work for you.
- 5
Fill the mushrooms
Spoon the filling into the roasted caps, pressing it in gently but not packing it hard. Make a small hollow in the centre of each one for the egg. Crack each quail egg into a small cup first, then slide it onto a mushroom; quail shells are tough and a knife tip helps open them cleanly.
- 6
Bake to set
Return the tray to the oven and bake 6 to 8 minutes, until the whites are just set and the yolks are still soft. Watch closely at the end. A quail egg goes from tender to chalky while you are looking for a clean towel.
- 7
Serve at once
Finish with a little chopped parsley and a few drops of olive oil. Serve warm, with bread nearby for the oil and the bits of jamón that fall onto the plate. These wait badly, so bring them out as soon as the eggs set.
Chef Tips
- •Choose mushrooms with deep caps, about 4 to 5cm across, so they can hold the filling and the quail egg. Flat caps are fine for the plancha, not for stuffing.
- •Use jamón serrano or another Spanish dry-cured ham. If you use prosciutto, chop it small and salt carefully at the end; it is softer and sweeter, so the filling will taste less firm and porky.
- •Do not wash mushrooms under running water unless they are truly dirty. Wipe them clean. They already carry enough water, and the first roast is there to drive that water out.
- •No quail eggs? Beat 1 large hen's egg with a pinch of salt and spoon about 1 teaspoon over each filled cap. It will set like a small glaze rather than giving you a separate yolk.
- •For drinking, pour a young Rioja, a dry fino, or a small beer. The salt of the jamón wants something dry beside it.
Advance Preparation
- •Roast the mushroom caps and make the jamón filling up to 6 hours ahead. Keep them separate in the refrigerator, then fill and bake with the quail eggs just before serving.
- •Do not bake the eggs ahead. They overcook when reheated, and the dish loses the soft yolk that makes it worth serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 38g)
Calories
55 calories
Total Fat
4 g
Saturated Fat
1 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
3 g
Cholesterol
80 mg
Sodium
150 mg
Total Carbohydrates
2 g
Dietary Fiber
0 g
Sugars
1 g
Protein
3 g
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