Tony Jackman’s mushroom, courgette and cheese toasts. (Photo: Tony Jackman)
Big brown mushrooms are looking fresh and perky right now, so it’s time to turn them into breakfast. But I wanted more out of this day-starter, so I decided to use the courgettes in the crisper as well.
Mushrooms and courgettes cook quickly, and there’s no reason they can’t be cooked in the same pan. I did the mushrooms first then the zucchini, and I added fresh parsley as well.
I decided to finish the dish off with some Emmentaler cheese I happened to have. Emmentaler melts beautifully so it makes for a nice cheesy addition.
Finally, I spiced it all up with a bit of cayenne pepper and, of course, salt and black pepper.
Tony’s mushrooms, courgettes and cheese on toast
(Makes 4 slices)
Ingredients
8 brown mushrooms, sliced
4 courgettes, ends trimmed, sliced in half lengthwise
2 Tbsp olive oil
½ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
Cayenne pepper to taste
1 cup Emmentaler cheese, grated
4 slices of bread, for toasting
Butter or canola margarine
Method
Slice the mushrooms and courgettes, grate the cheese and chop the parsley.
Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a pan. Add the sliced mushrooms and fry them until just cooked, to the point just as they are threatening to release their juices. Season with salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper. Usually I allow them to release their juices and then cook them away. This time, you want that moisture inside the mushrooms. Remove them to a side dish.
Add a little more oil and add the courgette halves. Fry on both sides until nicely browned and tender but not overcooked. Season with salt and black pepper. Remove to the side dish.
Toast the bread lightly and butter one side. Preheat an air fryer to 200°C or turn on an oven grill to preheat.
Add the mushrooms back to the pan and most of the parsley, retaining some for garnish. Toss on a moderate heat, then add half of the cheese and melt it quickly while tossing with a wooden spoon. As soon as the cheese has melted, stop cooking.
Spoon the mushroom mixture equally onto the four slices of toast.
Lay two courgette halves across each slice. Sprinkle the remaining grated cheese on top.
Grill in the air fryer or under an oven grill until the cheese has just melted.
Remove to plates, season with black pepper and cayenne pepper and sprinkle some parsley over. It’s good to go. DM
Tony Jackman is twice winner of the Galliova Food Writer of the year award, in 2021 and 2023
Follow Tony Jackman on Instagram @tony_jackman_cooks.
This dish is photographed on a plate by Mervyn Gers Ceramics.