portobello fries Archives - Proud Italian Cook

About a month ago I went to a restaurant with my girlfriends, we ordered portobello fries for an appetizer and we haven’t stopped talking about them ever since! Trust me, if you’re a mushroom lover you will go batty over these, they’re so addicting you can’t stop eating them!
Meaty portobellos with the perfect crunch all the way around enhanced even better with the dipping sauce served along side it.
Two of my friends already tried to recreate them at home using panko crumbs and frying them, I decided not to fry mine so I could eat more without guilt, here’s my version.

Go get some nice, large, firm portobellos, wipe them down and scoop out the gills, now slice them up.
Crack a few eggs in a bowl, whisk and set aside.
For my breading I used equal parts of unseasoned good quality breadcrumbs, polenta, and grated romano cheese. I added snipped fresh chives, salt, pepper and a little granulated garlic.
Dip each portobello slice into the egg mixture first then into the breading.

Have your oven at 425 degrees, place parchment paper on a baking sheet and drizzle it with olive oil, then place your breaded slices on top and drizzle with more olive oil. Bake until crunchy and golden, flipping once.

The sauce I made was so simple! Take a jar of roasted red peppers, drain and pat dry. Place them in a food processor with one small garlic clove, salt and pepper. Process until smooth keeping a few tiny lumps. Now toss it all into some real mayonnaise, start out small until you get the right creamy consistency. I added snipped chives to mine. A match made in heaven!

The polenta provides a nice coating that really sticks to the portobellos, by adding the breadcrumbs you’ll get even more crunch, and the romano cheese just gives you tons of flavor.
Now get ready to dip!