Portobello Tenderloin

Photo

www.weeklyveganmenu.blogspot.com

adapted from “The Sublime Restaurant Cookbook”

Ingredients:

Tomato Filling:

water for boiling tomatoes (salted)

2 pounds, tomatoes, ripe

½ c sugar

½ c apple cider vinegar

4 T fresh thyme

Porcini Sauce:

4 c water

6 T dried porcini mushrooms

2 c brandy

5 shallots, chopped

1 c cashew cream ( ⅔ c water with ½ c cashews)(Strain through a nut bag if possible. The sauce will be smoother.)

3 -oz can of green peppercorns or 1 T capers, drained

½ c vegan butter

salt to taste

Mushroom:

1 c oil

salt and fresh pepper

8 portobello caps, stems and gills removed

4 T garlic, chopped

Special equipment:

4 2 ½ inch tall, 2.5 inch diameter molds OR 4 regular sized cans (beans or tomatoes, etc) with paper and both ends removed

Make the Tomato Filling:

Bring the water to a boil, add the salt. Make X’s on the bottom of the tomatoes and cook them in the boiling water for 2-3 minutes. Remove them and plunge them into ice water. This helps to peel them. Peel and seed the tomatoes.

Put the tomatoes in a saucepan with the sugar, vinegar and thyme. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes. You may bring up the temp if needed. The water needs to be evaporated and tomato should have the consistency of jam - thick.

Make the Porcini Sauce:

Bring the water to a boil. Drop in the mushrooms and turn off the heat. Allow the mushrooms to rehydrate for 30 minutes. Strain the mushrooms and the liquid through a coffee filter. Reserve the mushrooms to add back to the sauce if you wish, but make sure to rinse them first of the grit.

In the meantime, combine the brandy and the shallots and cook until almost all of the brandy has evaporated - about 2 minutes. Add the mushroom stock, cashew cream and peppercorns or capers. Cook for about 15 minutes, or until thickened. It should easily coat the back of a spoon. Blend very well until very smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste and the reserved porcini, if desired.

Make the Portobello:

Preheat oven to 350.

Season the oil with salt and pepper. Dunk each portobello cap into the oil and place it on a baking sheet. Bake the mushrooms for 15 minutes. Allow them to cool before proceeding.

Take your mold cutter or your can and a sharp knife and cut each cap into a circle. Save the remnants of the mushrooms.

Taking one cap, place it gill-part down and put the mold on it. Flip it upside down carefully and fill in the next layer with the mushroom remnants, leaving enough room for ¼ of the tomato filling to fit. Fill with the tomato filling and add ¼ of the garlic. Place another cap on the bottom and put the mold on the baking sheet. So you have a mold with a cap, the tomato filling and remnant mushrooms, and another cap. Bake for 10 minutes. Slide a spatula under the mold, put on a plate and carefully lift off the mold.

Top with the Porcini Sauce and serve with Whipped Potatoes.