Portobello Paillards, Spinach, White Beans & Caramelized Onions Stew
Submitted by happyzhangbo
Portobello caps breaded and pressed flat like paillards, piled onto a garlicky white bean and spinach stew with slow-caramelized red onions on top. A vegetarian main with real steakhouse presence.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
30 minREADY
66 minA paillard is a piece of meat pounded thin for fast, even cooking. Here the same idea gets applied to portobello caps, dredged in milk and breadcrumbs, then pressed flat in the skillet under a heavy plate so the gills sear tight against the pan and the crust crisps evenly.
While the mushrooms cook, a separate skillet is doing the long work: red onion sliced thin, started over medium heat to color, then dropped to very low for 20 minutes of true caramelization until sweet and jammy.
The base is a quick stew of garlic-wilted spinach and canned white beans warmed in broth. Mushrooms get sliced over the top, onions spoon on, and parmesan finishes everything.
Chef Tips
- Use a pie pan or cast iron skillet as your weight, it distributes pressure evenly across the cap
- Don’t skip the gill-side-down start, that side holds moisture and needs direct heat to seal
- Low and slow is the only way onions actually caramelize, high heat just burns them
- Rinse canned beans well, the starchy packing liquid will cloud the broth
Variations
- Swap spinach for Swiss chard or kale, just add an extra minute of wilting time
- Use cannellini or great northern beans interchangeably with white beans
- Drizzle balsamic glaze over the plated mushrooms for a sharp, sweet edge
Ingredients
Directions
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat.
Stir in onion and cook, stirring often, until brown, about 9 minutes.
Reduce heat to very low, season with salt and black pepper to taste.
Continue to cook, stirring often, until caramelized, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Transfer to a bowl and keep warm.
Meanwhile, place milk in a small bowl and place breadcrumbs on a large plate.
Dip each mushroom cap in milk, then dredge in the breadcrumbs.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.
Add mushrooms, gill-side down. Place a heavy, heatproof plate or pie pan on top of the mushrooms and cook until golden brown, pressing down on the plate periodically to flatten them, about 6 minutes.
Carefully remove the plate using an oven mitt or tongs, add 1 tablespoon oil to the pan and turn the mushrooms over.
Replace the plate and cook, pressing the plate once or twice, until the mushrooms are golden brown and cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes more.
Remove from heat; cover to keep warm.
Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 20 to 30 seconds.
Stir in spinach and cook, stirring, until just wilted, 2 to 3 minutes.
Stir in beans, broth and season with salt and black pepper to taste.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 2 minutes.
Cut each mushroom into thin slices and serve over the spinach.
Spoon reserved onions on top and sprinkle cheese over.
Serve warm.
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