Galipettes

Galipettes is a classic French dish prepared with mushrooms. The literal meaning of the word ‘galipettes’ means ‘somersault’ which is named for this dish for the fact that the mushroom is stuffed with meat and turned upside down for eating. This dish is a specialty of Saumur and can be baked either with rillette as stuffing or any other meat of your own choice.

Health Benefits

Mushrooms are disease-fighting food as they are low in carbohydrates and rich in all the essential vitamins and minerals that a human body needs. They are a high anti-oxidant food which means they help in preventing cancer and fight free radical damage. With the presence of rillettes in this dish, which is made of pork this dish becomes fairly rich and should be consumed in moderation.

Ingredients

medium white cap mushrooms: 12

loaf of pork rillettes: 1 tin

Butter: 1 tsp

garlic cloves, minced: 1 1/2

finely chopped parsley: 1 1/2 tbsp

fresh thyme (finely chopped): 1 1/2 tbsp

freshly grated parmesan cheese: 1 1/2 tbsp

baby spinach leaves (for garnish)

lemon zest (as needed)

breadcrumbs (as needed)

sea salt to taste

freshly ground pepper to taste

How To Make Galipettes

• Take a small knife and remove the stalks of all the mushrooms by snapping them off and make the mushroom is clean
• Add minced garlic cloves, chopped parsley and thyme, and add a grind or two of freshly ground pepper with salt as per your liking into the rillette.
• Mix all these ingredients together and spread them gently and evenly into the cups of cleaned mushrooms
• Grate over a little lemon zest, and spread the baby spinach leaves and freshly grated Parmesan Cheese for garnish
• Now spread some breadcrumbs on top to give it a crust on top
• Grease a tray with 2 tsp of butter and place the mushrooms with filled side facing upwards on it.
• Place the tray in a pre-heated oven at 180ºC and leave the tray in there for around 20 minutes or keep checking the tray until the mushrooms are tender, oozing, and a light golden brown crust has formed on top of it.
• Take them out of the oven and place them on a clean plate. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve while it is hot.

Trivia

• In France, near the Loire, galipettes are served with stuffed goat’s cheese or snail butter.

Stuffed mushrooms are being eaten since late 19^th and early 20^th century but were first widely promoted in France in the 19^th century when they began cultivating mushrooms for consumption.