Portobello Mushroom Milanese

Updated Dec. 4, 2024

Portobello Mushroom Milanese
Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Hadas Smirnoff.
Total Time
2 hours 10 minutes
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
1 hour, plus 1 hour’s marinating and chilling
Rating
4(72)
Comments
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Milan. The city’s name represents a recipe. You know it: a flattened, crisply breaded surfboard of veal or chicken that’s often big enough to cover the plate. Sometimes fish is called on. Or pork. Here, the technique is applied to large mushrooms, which are also flattened and then treated to the step-by-step of a dusting of flour to dry the surface, then an egg wash to grab the final coating of crumbs. (The same technique will also produce a schnitzel.) Marissa Lo, the executive chef at Boat House in Tiverton, R.I., was inspired to try the technique with big portobello caps after visiting Italy. Serve them dressed with a tangle of salad greens, or top with tomato sauce and melted cheese like a Parm. However you serve your Milanese, consider a platter of them for a holiday party. —Florence Fabricant

Featured in: Mushrooms, Long a Supporting Player, Find the Leading Role

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • tablespoons minced garlic
  • ½teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
  • ½teaspoon dried basil
  • ½teaspoon dried thyme
  • ½teaspoon ground cumin
  • Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) and black pepper
  • 3tablespoons lemon juice (from 1 large lemon)
  • cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for frying
  • 4large portobello mushrooms (or 8 medium)
  • 1cup all-purpose flour
  • 3large eggs
  • 1cup panko bread crumbs
  • ¼cup finely grated Pecorino Romano
  • 1tablespoon minced flat-leaf parsley, plus more for garnish
  • ¾teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¾teaspoon onion powder
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

427 calories; 23 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 15 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 43 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 13 grams protein; 561 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Line a baking sheet large enough to hold the mushroom caps with parchment. Make the marinade: Combine garlic, rosemary, basil, thyme, cumin, ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper in a small bowl. Stir in the lemon juice and oil.

  2. Step 2

    Cut off and discard stems from the mushrooms and use a spoon to gently scrape away the gills under the caps.

  3. Step 3

    On the prepared baking sheet, generously brush mushrooms on both sides with the marinade. With the mushrooms stem-side up, drizzle any remaining marinade over top. Gently press down on the mushrooms to flatten them somewhat. Let marinate for 30 minutes.

  4. Step 4

    Heat oven to 350 degrees. Roast mushrooms for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through. Remove from oven and let cool.

  5. Step 5

    Meanwhile, place flour in a wide shallow bowl. Beat eggs in another wide shallow bowl. In a third wide shallow bowl, mix panko with the cheese, parsley, garlic powder and onion powder; season with salt and pepper.

  6. Step 6

    Line up the bowls with flour, beaten eggs and panko mixture. Gently flatten mushrooms one more time, then dredge the caps first in flour, then egg and lastly panko, pressing to coat each mushroom completely. Return to the baking sheet and refrigerate, covered, at least 30 minutes and up to overnight.

  7. Step 7

    7. Into a large (12-inch) cast-iron or regular pan over medium heat, pour enough oil to submerge the breaded mushrooms about halfway. When the oil is hot (after about 2 minutes; when a few breadcrumbs dropped in the oil begin to sizzle immediately), fry the mushrooms, working in batches if necessary, until golden, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Season with salt, garnish with parsley and serve.

Ratings

4 out of 5
72 user ratings
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Comments

Not worth the amount of prep for a home cook with no sous chefs. A fine example of a dish to eat at a good restaurant.

I wouldn't discard the stems. Make them into little "tots". There is a great deal of nutritional value in the stems. Even Shitake stems can be used in broth.

I dispute the claim that each serving contains 13g of protein. By my count, the entire recipe contains about 25g of protein, and that's if none of the egg is left after breading.

Since my wife was juicing a lemon for the marinade, she put the zest in, too!

Could these be prepared and the frozen, uncooked?

Delicious! I mostly followed the recipe but used regular (store-bought) break crumbs and substituted nutritional yeast for the parmesan to up the protein content. I thought this was definitely worth the effort and will make again for sure.

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Credits

Adapted from Marissa Lo, Boat House, Tiverton, R.I.

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