Over-The-Top Stuffed Mushrooms

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Step 2: Melt olive oil and/or butter in skillet. Once hot enough add chopped onion and finely chopped mushroom stems over medium heat until soft, translucent and golden.

Step 3: Stir garlic into onion mixture. Add hot pepper sauce (preferably pimenta moida, refer to note below), dry mustard, paprika, salt and pepper. Stir until all ingredients are blended and flavors are released. Be careful not to burn garlic.

Step 4: Cook for about 2 minutes. Add wine, letting it come to a boil and reduced by 1/2 to 1/4 (This step is essential, because if you don't cook it down enough your stuffing may be too wet). Stir in parsley and distribute evenly.

Step 5: Add crushed Ritz crackers to combine.

Step 6: Add sugar and parmesan. Stir to combine.

Step 7: Cook for another minute or two, enough to toast crackers over medium heat and reach desired consistency (it cooks quick). Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper if necessary.

Step 8: Remove from heat. Add lemon juice to taste. This mixture should not be too wet or too dry. When pressed together with fingertips mixture should hold together but slightly loose.

Step 9: Fill each mushroom cap with the stuffing and distribute evenly. (If there is leftover stuffing, it can be kept frozen and used to stuff for fish or shrimp at a later time.)

Step 10: Bake until the mushrooms are dark and the stuffing is golden, about 35-40 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

NOTE: Portuguese Pimenta moida is the best hot sauce to use in this dish. It is used in this dish not as a "hot" ingredient but as to provide a unique flavor in the background. It can be found in Portuguese markets or in a well stocked supermarkets. It can also be ordered online. If ordered online Goncalves brand is a good brand to use and can be purchased inexpensively within this link: amaralsmarketdotnet. This sauce isn't hot with a sharp bite like a tabasco and therefore tabasco shouldn't be used as a substitute. Louisiana style hot sauce, Louisiana Wing Sauce, or Sriracha can be used as a substitute, but note that it isn't an exact equivalent as all these have different levels of hot so only use as much as you prefer.

NOTE: The stuffing can be made up to 2 days ahead of time. The mushrooms can be assembled, placed in a baking dish, covered and refrigerated for up to 1 day before baking.