Stuffed mushroom

Choose large flat mushrooms or portobellos with firm caps and intact edges; their broad tops hold a generous filling. Small button mushrooms work well for bite-sized nibbles.

Brush the caps clean rather than soaking them, then roast them upside down at 200°C (180°C fan) for about 8 minutes. Tip away the liquid before adding the filling and baking them again.

Bake filled large mushrooms at 200°C (180°C fan) for 15–20 minutes, until the tops are golden and the filling is piping hot throughout. Cook any meat filling fully before stuffing the caps.

A familiar pub-style filling is breadcrumbs mixed with garlic, chopped parsley and grated cheese. Finely chopped mushroom stalks are useful too: fry them first to drive off their moisture, then stir them into the crumbs.

Roast the empty caps and prepare the filling separately, then keep both covered in the fridge and fill the mushrooms shortly before baking. This helps prevent the caps becoming soggy.

Cool them and refrigerate within 1–2 hours, then eat within 2 days. Reheat only once, until piping hot throughout, following Food Standards Agency guidance.

Serve them as a starter with a crisp green salad, or alongside steak, roast chicken or a jacket potato. A squeeze of lemon helps cut through a rich cheese or garlic-butter filling.

Stuffed mushrooms have 10 g of protein per 100 g, compared with 5.2 g in stuffed tomatoes.