Mains Turkish
Mince-stuffed mushrooms
Large mushroom caps filled with lamb or beef mince spiced with cumin and Turkish pepper paste, then baked at 190 °C. A hearty main course, ready in 1 hour.
- Prep
- 18 min
- Cook
- 42 min
- Serves
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
Button mushroom
In Turkey, dolma means anything stuffed, from peppers to courgettes, and big mushroom caps make a perfect natural container: they hold the filling neatly and their juices keep it moist in the oven. This kıymalı mantar dolması uses the chopped stalks in the filling too, so nothing goes to waste.
The filling is fully cooked in the pan before it goes into the oven. Mushrooms soften quickly, so rather than baking raw mince inside them, we cook the meat through first. That way the mince is safely cooked and the caps don't shrivel.
Ingredients
Tick them off as you go.
Mushrooms
Filling
To finish
Method
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-
Heat the oven to 190 °C. Wipe the mushrooms clean and gently twist out the stalks, then scrape the inside of each cap lightly with a teaspoon to make room for the filling. Finely chop the stalks and scrapings; they go into the filling.
~8 min -
Finely chop the onion, crush the garlic, peel and dice the tomato and chop the parsley.
~7 min -
Heat the olive oil in a wide frying pan over a medium heat and cook the onion and chopped mushroom stalks for 5 minutes, until the onion is soft and the liquid from the stalks has evaporated.
~5 min -
Add the mince, turn up the heat and fry for 7–8 minutes, breaking it up with a spoon. It will release liquid first; keep going until that has gone completely and there's no pink left, with the mince brown and crumbly.
~8 min -
Stir in the garlic and pepper paste for a minute. Add the tomato, cumin, chilli flakes, salt and pepper and cook for 3 minutes until the tomato has cooked down and the mixture holds together. Take off the heat and stir in the parsley.
~4 min -
Oil a baking tray, brush the outside of the mushroom caps with oil and arrange them hollow side up. Pile the filling into the caps and scatter over the cheese, if using.
~3 min -
Bake on the middle shelf at 190 °C for 22–25 minutes, until the mushrooms are tender and have released a little juice, a knife slides easily into the caps and the cheese is golden.
~23 min -
Rest on the tray for 2 minutes, spoon the pan juices over and serve hot with yoghurt.
~2 min
Enjoy!
The mushroom in this recipe
Mushroom swaps
- Portobello mushroom Agaricus bisporusThe large, mature form of the same species; allow one per person and add 5 minutes to the baking time.
- Chestnut mushroom Agaricus bisporusChoose large ones; they are firmer and more aromatic.
Shiitake Lentinula edodesPick wide caps and leave the tough stalks out of the filling; 15 minutes in the oven is enough.
Tips
- Always cook the mince through in the pan: no pink should remain, or 71 °C if you're using a thermometer.
- Don't scrape the caps too thin, or they'll tear in the oven.
- Lamb mince gives a richer, juicier filling and beef a lighter one; a half-and-half mix works well too.
- Serve with bulgur pilaf and garlicky yoghurt for a classic Turkish meal.
Storage
Once cool, keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat in a 180 °C oven for 10–12 minutes until piping hot all the way through. Don't leave dishes containing mince at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
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Kitchen guides
Before you cook: clean, store, dry
How to clean mushroomsPractical ways to clean everything from button mushrooms to morels without waterlogging them or ruining their texture.
How to store mushroomsHow to keep fresh, cooked, frozen and dried mushrooms at their best — and how to tell when they’ve gone bad.
How to dry mushroomsA step-by-step guide to drying mushrooms at home in the oven, in a dehydrator or on a string — and how to store and rehydrate them.