Harissa portobello steaks with saffron sweetcorn purée and pomegranate
I love portobello mushrooms, especially roasted, so they are tenderised into succulent deliciousness. Here they are cooked in a harissa-maple oil which amplifies their umaminess to next-level heights. Layered on a bed of creamy sweetcorn purée, slightly chunky with bursts of juicy corn and spiked with mellow saffron, this recipe delivers a flavour explosion unlike any other.
Top Tip - this dish is incredibly versatile, excellent as a main for a small group or as a sharing plate as part of a larger feast for a crowd. If sweetcorn is out of season, replace with 500g frozen kernels and cook as you would the fresh cobs.
hands-on time
30 minutes
40 minutes
total time
3 as a main, 6 as a side
serves
Ingredients
Harissa portobello steaks
4 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp rose harissa
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp sea salt
6 large portobello mushrooms, stems removed
Saffron sweetcorn purée
100ml coconut milk
1 large pinch saffron threads
3 large sweetcorn cobs, husks and silk removed
2 tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, finely grated
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp cracked black pepper
½ tsp sea salt
To serve
1 large handful coriander leaves, roughly chopped
1 large handful pomegranate seeds
juice of ½ lemon
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C fan-forced (or 200°C conventional).
For the harissa portobello steaks, in a medium-large roasting tin (or similar), whisk together the olive oil, rose harissa, maple syrup, balsamic vinegar, cumin and salt. Add the portobello mushrooms and toss through the marinade, spooning it over so they are evenly coated on both sides. Arrange the mushrooms in the base of the tin, domed side up, and cover the tin with foil. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove the foil, flip the mushrooms over, cover with foil again and bake for a further 15 minutes until tender.
Make the saffron sweetcorn purée as the portobello steaks roast. Heat the coconut milk in a small saucepan over medium heat until just starting to bubble, then remove from the heat and add the saffron. Set aside to allow the saffron to steep in the milk. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil over high heat. Add the sweetcorn cobs and cook for 10 minutes. Remove the corn from the water and once cool enough to handle, stand the corn upright on a chopping board, hold steady with one hand and with a sharp knife slice off the kernels. Place the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the garlic, cumin and corn kernels and cook for a few minutes until the garlic is turning golden and the corn starts to brown a little. Transfer the contents of the frying pan to a large bowl and blitz with a stick blender. Stir the coconut milk to bring out the colour from the saffron so it turns a glorious golden colour. Add the coconut milk and saffron threads to the corn mixture, along with the black pepper and salt, and blitz again to form a relatively smooth but slightly chunky purée. Adjust seasoning to taste.
To serve, in a small bowl, toss together the chopped coriander, pomegranate seeds and lemon juice. Spoon the saffron sweetcorn purée onto the base of a large serving platter (or individual plates), spreading with the back of the spoon. Cut the portobello steaks in half, arrange on top of the sweetcorn and spoon over the pomegranate and coriander mix, including any juices. Serve warm.