Krill-Stuffed Portobello Mushroom
One of things I get annoyed about using Facebook are the constant ads. But every once in a while, an ad will pop up that catches my interest. I guess that’s the whole point. I enjoy eating different foods from other countries or exotic foods I’ve never tried. Lately, I’ve been eating a lot of fish. When I saw the Facebook ad for Antarctic krill meat, I had to try it.
Krill are small crustaceans that are found in the ocean. One species of krill, Antarctic krill are eaten by whales, seals, penguins, seabirds, squid, and fish each year. In the Southern Ocean, these krill are harvested to feed fish in aquariums and fish in aquaculture. In fact, when I was into the salt water aquarium hobby, I often saw ads for krill to feed for salt water aquarium fish and even how to raise krill. Then I started seeing stores like Costco advertising krill oil tablets in addition to fish oil tablets. So, it was natural curiosity to wonder how krill tastes like and should I eat it because I’ve eaten a lot of exotic meats over the years.
One of the first things I read when reading the ad from Krill Arctic Foods (“KAF”) were people objecting to the harvesting of antarctic krill for human consumption because it was taking a food source away from whales. But those comments ignored that krill is harvested anyway for aquarium and aquaculture consumption.
I checked out the KAF website and found out the following:
Our krill meat is produced from krill caught within strict guidelines established by the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) to ensure and promote the health and sustainability of the krill population in the Antarctic Ocean.
The CCAMLR is an international organization made up of 25 member countries that get together once a year every October to make important decisions on how to protect and conserve the Southern marine ecosystem. One of the main decisions constructed is around managing fisheries including krill fisheries, to ensure that they allow for the needs of all marine life that feed off krill.
Krill are an important part of the marine ecosystem due to their role in recycling nutrients back into the waters, which is important for the phytoplankton that they eat. Krill are also the prime food source for countless marine life such as penguins, whales, and seals. The krill population is the essential component in maintaining a healthy and sustainable marine ecosystem.
The CCAMLR have established an annual harvesting quota of less than 1% of the total krill biomass, which is estimated to be up to 500 million metric tons. This is a precautionary approach that mitigates concerns consumers have regarding the sustainability of krill.
Given these assurances, I purchased two cans of krill meat. I also found the recipe on the website but modified it to my taste.
Ingredients
- ¼ lb Mild Italian Sausage
- ½ lb Krill
- 1 Tablespoons Breadcrumbs
- 1 Egg
- ½ Teaspoon Parsley, minced
- ½ Teaspoon Salt
- ½ Teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- 1 Tablespoons Parmesan Cheese, grated
- ¼ Cup Yellow Onion, diced
- ½ Cup Green Bell Pepper, seeded and diced
- 12 Cremini or Button Mushrooms
- ¼ Cup Mayonnaise
- 1 ½ Tablespoons Sambal Chili Sauce
- ½ Tablespoon Lime Juice
Instead of parsley, I used cilantro. Instead of cremini or button mushrooms, I used portobello mushroom. Instead of Sambal Chili Sauce, I used Truff White Hotter Sauce. They actually make a mayonnaise with the hot sauce which is another option. I didn’t have it. So, I made it myself.
The steps are fairly simple.
Directions
To make filling for mushroom caps combine Italian sausage and krill with egg, yellow onions, breadcrumbs and bell peppers.
1. Season with parsley, parmesan, crushed red peppers and salt.
2. Remove the stem from each mushroom and fill with 1 1/2 tablespoon of the mixture.
3. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes.
I baked the portobello mushrooms in my Tovala.
4. To make spicy aioli, combine mayonnaise, sambal sauce and lime.
5. Top mushrooms with 1 teaspoon of spicy aioli
I’ll have to admit that this dish was delicious. The mushrooms very earth and the krill has a taste similar to shrimp. I definitely encourage people to try it.