A staple of many tapas bars, and among the most elementary of appetizers, this is a surefire crowd pleaser—as long as your crowd isn’t vegetarian. Even if some members are, you can skewer plain mushrooms or mushrooms and other vegetables—like red peppers and zucchini, for example.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　12 medium button mushrooms, trimmed

　　About 1/4 pound slab bacon, cut into 12 pieces, or 6 thick slices bacon, cut in half

　　Vinaigrette (page 600) or Aïoli (page 603)

　　

Step 1

Start a charcoal or gas grill or preheat the broiler: the fire should be medium-hot and the grill rack at least 4 inches from the heat source. Make 4 small skewers, alternating mushrooms and bacon. (If you are using sliced bacon, cut the 6 pieces in half, then fold each over onto itself as you skewer it.)

　　

Step 2

Grill, turning frequently, until the bacon is crisp on the outside and the mushrooms tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve, offering vinaigrette or aïoli as a dipping sauce.

　　

Pan-Cooked Mushrooms and Bacon

Step 3

Half of an English breakfast: Put 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil in a skillet and turn the heat to medium-high. A minute later, add the mushrooms and bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is crisp and the mushrooms browned and tender, about 10 minutes. Skewer if you like (it’s a nicer presentation) and serve.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.