Jeffrey's Grilled Portobellos

Jeffrey’s Grilled Portobellos

4 large portobello mushrooms

2 garlic cloves, cut into slivers

1 oz Romano or other firm cheese, finely slivered

1 sprig fresh rosemary, leaves stripped from stem

2 TBSP pine nuts

1/2 cup plus TBSP balsamic vinegar

1/2 tsp coarse salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 & 1/3 cup EVOO, more as needed

12 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced

Trim the stems off the mushrooms. Wipe the caps clean. Make a series of deep slices in the caps, and insert pieces of garlic, cheese, rosemary, and pine nuts.

Combine 1/2 cup vinegar and the salt & pepper in a non-reactive bowl. Whisk until the salt is dissolved. Whisk in the oil and basil. Pour some of the mixture into the bottom of a non-reactive baking dish and arrange the portobellos in it, gill-side up. Swish the mushrooms around to coat the bottoms. Spoon the remaining marinade over the mushrooms. Marinate in the refrigerator, covered, for 30 minutes to 3 hours.

Heat grill to high.

When read to cook, remove the mushrooms from marinade. Which the remaining 2 TBSP vinegar into the marinade. Arrange the mushrooms onto the grill, directly on the grate, gill-side down. Grill for 3 minutes, then invert and spoon on remaining marinade into gills. Continue grilling until the caps are browned and very tender, 4-6 minutes, rotating them 45 degrees after two minutes to give crosshatch marks. Serve at once.