This recipe recreation has been in my head for a while – meet the Portobello Mushroom Breakfast Burger.
Last fall when V and I were in Seward, Alaska we popped into the most highly rated spot on Yelp, prepared to be wowed by all the bounty coming from Resurrection Bay. As in, bring on the seafood.
When we sat down and schmoozed with the waiter a bit, it seemed that all things he recommended were anything but the seafood dishes. Weird, but we do what we’re told and nothing he served us disappointed. But the thing that really blew us out of the water was the mushroom toast.
Now, I love me some mushrooms and some toast (and actually, some mushroom toast)…but of all the delicious sounding things on the menu, that was the recommendation? The menu reads:
Mushroom Toast: black garlic aioli, picked diakon, togarashi, spelt grain sourdough
OMG it was AMAZING. And V and I still talk about how good it was, now months later. I’ve always had it in my mind to recreate it and while I didn’t do it exactly…I think I captured it’s essence.
Pssst. You can 10000% make this vegetarian but I like bacon, so there we are.
Here are the ingredients you need to make Portobello Mushroom Breakfast Burgers:
- portobello mushroom caps. The OG had different kinds of sautéed mushrooms, but we’re going burger for this one. I’ve broiled them here because…winter. Grill as you will though.
- togarashi seasoning and olive oil, to season. I found this at my local Asian supermarket after having little luck at my regular haunts. It’s pretty much the grill seasoning we’re using to marinate the mushrooms.
- garlic aioli. Can you make your own? Yes. Did I make my own? No. Make life easier on this one.
- kimchi. Rather than making my own pickled diakon, I made my life easier on this one and grabbed my favorite kimchi from the Asian grocer. Are they the same? No, but the kimchi captured the essence of what I felt the diakon added to the Cookery version.
- egg & bacon. Burger, but make it breakfast. Runny eggs, all the way.
- buns. pick your favorite and don’t overcomplicate it.
But…what exactly is togarashi seasoning?
Glad you asked. Togarashi is a Japanese chili spice blend that has a multitude of ingredients including chili pepper, orange peel, sesame, ginger, nori, poppyseed and yuzu. This is the one that I found but there are a plethora of brands out there.
Don’t want to make it breakfast? The bacon and egg are totally optional but add a little more heartiness and heft to the mushroom. I loved what I did here (to toot my own horn) and if you’re looking for a burger that is a little lighter than a beef bomb – this is it!
Portobello Mushroom Breakfast Burger
Ingredients
- 4 large portobello mushroom caps
- 4 TB olive oil
- 4 tsp togarashi seasoning
- 8 slices thick cut bacon
- 4 eggs
- ½ cup kimchi
- 4 TB garlic aioli
- 4 burger buns toasted as you wish
Instructions
- Preheat the broiler or grill pan.
- Brush each mushroom cap on both sides with 1 TB olive oil. Sprinkle 1 tsp togarashi seasoning on each mushroom. Place on a parchment lined grill pan in a single layer.
- Broil the mushroom caps 7 minutes per side until soft.
- While the mushrooms cook, prepare the bacon according to package directions to desired crispiness.
- While the bacon and mushrooms cook, fry the eggs to over easy, or as desired.
- Assemble the burger: on one side of the bun, spread 1 TB garlic aioli. Add the bacon, the kimchi, the mushroom, and the egg. Top with the second half of the bun. Repeat with remaining burgers. Serve immediately.
