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Posts Tagged ‘Mushrooms’

Burgers with Mushrooms and Horseradish Mayo

Posted in Barbecue, Beef, Food, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on 2 September 2025| Leave a Comment »

These tasty mushrooms with horseradish mayo are a great addition to a regular barbecued burger. They’re fully of umami savouriness. Make your own burgers, or buy some from a good butcher.

Wine Suggestion: We really enjoy these flavours with a good Pinot Noir with a few years of age, but they’ve got so expensive which is why we opened Dominio de Tares Baltos. A Mencia from Bierzo, north western Spain, this is a wine we’ve enjoyed over the years and think it’s getting better each vintage. Deep and savoury, but with an intrinsic freshness. Our bottle was quite young, but we suspect this will be super with an extra 3-5 years cellaring too.

Burgers with mushrooms and horseradish mayonnaise – serves 4

  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 25g root ginger, grated
  • 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
  • 2 large portobello mushrooms
  • 4 good-quality shop-bought or home-made beef burgers
  • 4 burger buns, to serve
  • a large handful of rocket leaves, to serve

FOR THE HORSERADISH MAYONNAISE:

  • 2-3 tbsp mayonnaise
  • 2-3 tsp hot horseradish sauce

Mix the soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger and garlic together in a bowl. Set the mushrooms on a plate, stem side up, and pour over the marinade. Set aside for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Mix the mayonnaise and hot horseradish sauce together in a bowl and season to taste.

Get your barbecue ready for both direct and indirect cooking.

Place the mushrooms, stem-side up, over the direct heat and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until softened and coloured. Move them to the indirect heat, keeping them stem side up.

Put the burgers over the direct heat, lift the mushrooms with tongs and pour any juices over the burgers as they cook. Keep the mushrooms over the indirect heat but turn them over so they are stem side down. Close the barbecue lid and allow the burgers to cook for 3-4 mintues, then flip them over and cook for the same time on the other side. They should be 71C when cooked through.

Quickly toast the buns, then place a few rocket leaves on the bun base and top with a burger. Cut the mushrooms into slices and divide between the burgers, finishing with some horseradish mayonnaise and the bun lid.

(Original recipe from Foolproof BBQ by Genevieve Taylor, Hardie Grant: Quadrille, 2021.)

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Asparagus Tart

Posted in Cheese, Food, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , on 1 July 2025| Leave a Comment »

This is perfect for lunch with salad or for a spring starter. We are always nervous with even shop-bought pastry but this is not difficult!

Wine Suggestion: it feels a very French style of dish so we opened a favourite, the Chateau du Hureau Argile, a super dry and savoury Chenin Blanc from Saumur. Ours had a number of years in bottle so had extra roundness and depth but we enjoy this from the moment it released as well.

Asparagus Tart – serves 4 as a main or 6 as a starter

  • 1 x 250g sheet of puff pastry
  • flour for dusting
  • 1 egg
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 3 tbsp crème fraîche
  • roughtly 400g asparagus (preferable the fine stuff), snap off the woody ends
  • 30g butter, plus a bit to grease the tin
  • 3 small shallots, thinly sliced
  • 120g chestnut mushrooms, sliced
  • 120g soft, rindless goat’s cheese
  • 25g Parmesan, finely grated

We used a loose bottom rectangular tin 36cm x 12cm.

Lightly grease the tin with butter.

Dust a clean surface with a little flour and roll out the pastry so that it fits in the tin. Chill for 20 minutes (or longer) in the fridge.

Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/Gas 6.

Beat the egg and egg yolks together with the crème fraîche.

Line the tin with some crumpled baking parchment and fill with baking beans or rice, then bake for about 15 minutes. Carefully remove the paper and beans or rice, then prick the base all over with a fork and brush lightly with the egg mixture.

Put the tart back into the oven for another 10 minute or until the pastry is completely cooked and the base is dry. Press the pastry down with a fork if it has puffed up a bit.

Reduce the oven temperature to 180C/160C fan/Gas 4.

Steam the asparagus for about 5 minutes or until tender, then drain and run under cold water.

Melt the butter in a frying pan and cook the shallot with a good pinch of salt for a few minutes or until softened. Add the mushrooms and turn up the heat. Fry until they have lost their moisture and are starting to colour, then remove from the heat.

Tip the shallots and mushrooms into the cooked pastry case and spread them out evenly. Crumble over the goat’s cheese and arrange the asparagus over the top in a single layer.

Season the egg and crème fraîche mixture then pour evenly over the asparagus. Sprinkle over the grated Parmesan.

Bake the tart until the egg is just set – about 20-25 minutes. Cool slightly before removing from the tin. Serve warm or at room temperature.

(Original recipe from Lickedspoon with Debora Robertson on Substack, 15 APR 2025.)

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Meatball Stroganoff

Posted in Beef, Food, Pasta, tagged , , , , , , , on 6 January 2025| Leave a Comment »

This is nice twist on a retro dish. Delicious!

Wine suggestion: this almost demands an oaked white and given the time of year we thought Patrick Javillier’s Bourgogne Cuvée des Forgets, from the vineyards near Meursault would match with equal amounts of richness, buttery toastiness and a fresh, minerally core. Sometimes nothing can beat a good, deftly handled, oaked Chardonnay.

Meatball Stroganoff – serves 6

  • 500g dried tagliatelle
  • 50g unsalted butter
  • 2 tsp poppy seeds

FOR THE MEATBALLS:

  • 70g slightly stale bread, crusts removed and roughly torn
  • 100ml milk
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
  • 500g beef mince
  • 2 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 egg
  • 5g dill, chopped
  • 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
  • 60ml olive oil, for frying the meatballs

FOR THE SAUCE:

  • 3 banana shallots, thinly sliced
  • 3 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 50g unsalted butter
  • 400g small chestnut mushrooms, quartered
  • 3 tbsp cognac
  • 1½ tsp hot smoked paprika
  • 1½ tbsp tomato purée
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 650ml beef stock
  • 150g sour cream

TO SERVE:

  • dill pickles, roughly chopped
  • a handful of dill, roughly chopped

Put the bread in the milk in a large bowl and set aside to soak for about 5 minutes.

Put the oil in a frying pan and place over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft. Add the garlic and cook for a minute, then scrape into a bowl. Allow the onions to cool a little, then add them to the bowl with the soaked bread, along with the remaining meatball ingredients, apart from the oil for frying the meatballs. Season with 1 tsp of salt and some black pepper. Mix together well with your hands, then make 26 meatballs (they should be about 30g each). Cover and keep the mixture in the fridge until ready to cook.

Put 2 tbsp of the oil into a large sauté pan and place over a medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add half the meatballs and cook for 8 minutes, until nicely browned and just cooked, shake the pan gently to turn them. Transfer to a plate and cook the rest of the meatballs in another 2 tbsp of oil. Set aside.

In the same pan that you fried the meatballs, add the shallots and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until starting to caramelise. Add the garlic, cook for a minute, then scrape into a bowl.

Add half the butter to the pan, then add half the mushrooms, ¼ tsp of salt and cook for 6 minutes, until well browned and there is no liquid. Tip into the bowl with the shallots and repeat with the remaining mushrooms and butter, adding another ¼ tsp of salt.

Tip the mushrooms and shallots back into the pan and bring to a simmer. Add the cognac and let it bubble for a few seconds, then add the paprika, tomato purée, mustard, Worcestershire sauce and beef stock. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 15 minutes or until reduced by a third. Add the sour cream, meatballs, ½ tsp of salt and some pepper and simmer for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in lots of salty water, then drain and return to the pot, then add the butter and poppy seeds. Toss gently to melt the butter, then divide between six bowl and spoon the meatballs sauce on top. Garnish with chopped pickles and dill.

(Original recipe from Ottolenghi Comfort by Yotam Ottolenghi, Helen Goh, Verena Lochmuller & Tara Wigley, Ebury Press, 2024. )

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Miso Mushrooms with Udon Noodles

Posted in Food, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , on 21 August 2024| Leave a Comment »

A great weeknight veggie dish with big flavours and minimal effort. While it doen’t look like much the udon noodles provide a wonderful counter-balance to the rich, salty, umami packed mushrooms, soy and sesame.

Wine Suggestion: This was a tough one to match and while we would have loved to try a Pinot based Champagne, like Laurent Lequart’s Blanc de Meunier, it was a weeknight and thought this was a bit much. However an excellent value northern Rhône, the Domaine Gerin La Champine Syrah, came to the rescue with an earthy, leathery character full of complementary pepper and pure fruit flavours.

Miso mushrooms with udon noodles – serves 4

  • 3 tbsp miso paste
  • 3 tbsp mirin
  • 3 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 4 large portobello mushrooms
  • 450g straight-to-wok udon noodles
  • 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
  • 4 scallions, finely sliced

Heat the oven to 180C.

Place the mushrooms on a large sheet of tin foil on a baking tray. Scrunch up the sides to create a sort of bag.

Mix the miso, mirin, soy, garlic and half the sesame oil together until smooth. Pour over the mushrooms and turn them over to coat in the mixture. Scrunch the tin foil to close the packet and bake for 30 minutes.

Just before the mushrooms are ready, get your wok on and heat the remaining splash of sesame oil. Toss the udon noodles in the wok until hot, then divide between 4 bowls. Spoon over the mushrooms and sauce and serve sprinkled with sesame seeds and scallions.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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Mushroom Carbonara

Posted in Food, Italian, Pasta, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on 6 May 2024| 3 Comments »

A great weeknight pasta dish with mushrooms instead of the traditional pancetta.

Wine Suggestion: this works really well with fuller-bodied dry whites, like a good Chardonnay. Tonight the Domaine de la Rochette Mont Sard Mâcon-Bussières was full of joyful apple and citrus fruits with layers of gentle smoky and creamy oak.

Mushroom Carbonara – serves 2

  • 200g spaghetti
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 150g chestnut mushrooms, sliced
  • 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
  • a handful of flatleaf parsley, chopped
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 40g Pecorino cheese, finely grated

Bring a large pan of water to the boil, add plenty of salt and cook the spaghetti according to the timings on the pack.

Heat a large, deep frying pan over a medium-high heat, add the oil and mushrooms and fry until lightly golden. Add the garlic and parsley and cook for a few seconds, then remove the pan from the heat.

Drain the spaghetti, then tip into the frying pan with the mushrooms. Add the beaten eggs and two-thirds of the cheese and toss well.

Season to taste with salt and plenty of black pepper and serve in warm bowls with the extra cheese.

(Original recipe from Rick Stein’s Simple Suppers, Penguin: Random House, 2023.)

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Monkfish with Mushroom & Bacon Sauce

Posted in Fish, Food, tagged , , , , , , on 1 February 2024| Leave a Comment »

A surf-n-turf compromise maybe for the meat-eaters and such a delicious sauce to go with the fish. Looks a bit messy in the picture but it tastes delicious! We served with baby roast potatoes and greens.

Wine Suggestion: This begs for a youthful, oaked white like the textural, fresh and balanced Neudorf Tiritiri Chardonnay from Nelson in NZ. There’s both a finesse and a complexity to this wine with fresh fruits, hints of spice and … it may be the food influencing it, but we get hints of bacon and a meatiness. All bound together tightly and opening up gently in the glass.

Monkfish with mushroom & bacon sauce – serves 6

  • 6 x 150g monkfish fillets, ask the fishmonger to remove the skin and membrane
  • 3 tbsp plain flour
  • 2 tbsp oil
  • a knob of butter
  • 6 rashers of smoked streaky bacon, chopped into small pieces
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 200g chestnut mushrooms, sliced
  • 200ml crème fraîche
  • juice of ½ lemon
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 3 tbsp chopped parsley

Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/Gas 6 and line a tray with baking paper.

Season the monkfish with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the flour over a plate and dust the fish until coated, shaking off any excess.

Put a frying pan over a high heat and add the oil and butter. When the butter is foaming, add the fish fillets and fry for 2-3 minutes on each side or until sealed and lightly golden. Transfer to the paper-lined tray and pour over any buttery juice from the pan. Roast in the oven for 8-10 minutes or until cooked through.

Meanwhile, wipe the pan clean with kitchen paper to remove any flour, then add the bacon and fry over a high heat until crispy, then remove to a plate. Tip the onion into the pan and fry for a few minutes, then cover and reduce the heat and leave to cook for another 5 minutes. Remove the lid and turn the heat back up, add the mushrooms and fry for a few minutes until golden.

Add the crème fraîche, lemon juice and mustard with half the cooked bacon and half the parsley. Bring to the boil and bubble for a few minutes until reduced and slightly thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Slice each fish fillet into three and arrange on a platter. Spoon over the sauce and garnish with the rest of the bacon and parsley.

(Original recipe from Foolproof Cooking by Mary Berry, BBC Books, 2016.)

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Roast Potatoes with Mushrooms, Chestnuts & Sherry

Posted in Food, Uncategorized, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , on 11 December 2023| Leave a Comment »

You can’t capture the autumn sliding into winter better than in this dish. It’s perfect for a weeknight main or a side dish at the weekend.

Wine Suggestion: We think Nebbiolo is such a natural pairing with mushrooms, but thought opening a Barolo or Barbaresco was a bit extravagant, so Luigi Pira’s Langhe Nebbiolo was chosen and the gentle leather, spice and tea leaf characters were a delight.

Roast potatoes with mushrooms, chestnuts & sherry – serves 4

  • 1kg waxy potatoes
  • 7 cloves of garlic, 4 unpeeled and smashed, 3 peeled and finely sliced
  • 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 sprigs of thyme, leaves picked
  • 500g chestnut mushrooms, sliced
  • 3 tbsp dry or medium sherry
  • 75g cooked chestnuts, roughly chopped
  • a small bunch of flatleaf parsley, finely chopped
  • 100g manchego or Parmesan cheese

Heat the oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7.

Line a baking tray with baking paper.

Spread the potatoes over the lined tray alongwith the smashed garlic, olive oil and thyme. Season and toss, then roast for 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes are softened but not cooked through.

Add the mushrooms, sliced garlic and sherry to the potatoes and toss again. Cook for another 20-25 minutes or until the mushrooms and potatoes are cooked. Remove from the oven and add the chestnuts and parsley. Mix well and check the seasoning.

Shave the cheese over the top to serve.

(Original recipe by Claire Thompson in Olive Magazine, October 2020.)

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Pork and Mushroom Pie

Posted in Food, Pork, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on 18 November 2023| 1 Comment »

We’re having problems with our website at the moment which is why we haven’t been posting. We’ve a temporary fix in place and will hopefully get back to normal very soon. Not least because all the things we’ve been cooking will be out of season by the time we get around to posting them!

Make the base for this earlier in the day and bake when guests arive. We served with champ, buttered brussels sprouts and roasted carrots. You make quite a bit of roux and only use a bit, but its a very handy thing to have in the fridge at this time of year to thicken gravies and sauces.

Wine Suggestion: Pork and mushrooms often make us think of Nebbiolo, especially when there’s a rich sauce to cut through too. From a very traditional, but expressive winemaker Pira Luigi’s Serralunga Barolo is a classical expression of this famous region. They make some amazing Cru’s as well which always need time to evolve, but this cuvée we find is always more open in youth. Full-bodied and aromatic with tar and roses, the earthiness and truffle on the palate hold the balance between the full tannins and fresh acidity. It finishes long and regal as hoped.

Pork and mushroom pie – serves 4

FOR THE ROUX:

  • 100g butter
  • 100g plain flour

FOR THE PIE FILLING:

  • 25g butter
  • 2 onions, chopped
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 700g shoulder or leg pork, cut into 2cm cubes
  • 250ml chicken stock
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 300g chestnut mushrooms, sliced
  • 250ml cream
  • 1 tbsp chopped parsley

FOR THE TOPPING:

  • 300g puff pastry, rolled to 5mm
  • 1 egg, beaten

Make the roux first by melting the butter over a medium heat, then add the flour. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes, then pour into a small bowl. Keep in the fridge once cooled.

Preheat the oven to 160C, Gas 3.

Melt the butter for the pie filling in a medium casserole. Add the onions and season, then cover and sweat on a low heat for 5 minutes. Turn up the heat, then add the spices and the pork. Toss for a few minutes to colour the pork, then add the stock. Cover and cook in the oven for 45 to 50 minutes or until tender.

While the pork is cooking, heat the oil in a large frying pan, then add the mushrooms and fry until lightly coloured. Add the mushrooms to the pork after 30 minutes.

When the pork is cooked, remove the pork and mushrooms from the dish with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the cream to the pot and boil with the lid off for a few minutes. Slowly whisk in about 2 tbsp of the roux to thicken the sauce, adding in small pieces while the mixture is boiling. Add the chopped parsley, then return the pork and mushrooms to the pan. Season and transfer to a large pie dish.

Heat the oven to 230C, Gas 8.

Cover the dish with the pastry and make a hole in the centre to let out steam. You can decorate the top if you like with the excess pastry. Have fun doing this if you like we did.

Brush with the beaten egg, then cook in the oven for 10 minutes. Turn the heat town to 190C/Gas 5 and cook for a further 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Serve immediately with lots of veg.

(Original recipe from Rachel’s Food for Living by Rachel Allen, Collins, 2007.)

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Chicken & Spinach Lasagne

Posted in Chicken, Food, Pasta, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on 25 April 2023| 1 Comment »

Make this with your roast chicken leftovers. It will generously serve 6 people and is very rich so you will only need a green salad on the side. Make sure you season all the components separately.

Wine Suggestion: We are big fans of Chardonnay, especially judiciously oaked and handled, no matter where they are grown. Tonight a hidden gem from Burgundy, the Patrick Javillier Bourgogne Côte d’Or Cuvée des Forgets which is grown on clay very close to Meursault. Quite vigorous and toasty with yellow and red apples poking through, plus layers of nuts. Generous and fleshy with a fresh, vibrant core that helps balance the richness of the dish.

Chicken and spinach lasagne – serves 6 to 8

  • 40g butter
  • 2 large cloves of garlic, finely chopped
  • 100g button mushrooms, finely sliced
  • 3 tbsp plain flour
  • 600ml milk
  • 100g cream cheese
  • 50g grated Parmesan
  • 150g baby spinach
  • 1 large egg
  • 250g ricotta cheese
  • 1 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • no-cook lasagne sheets, about 8
  • 400g cooked chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 200g grated mozzarella cheese

Melt the butter in a saucepan, then add the garlic and mushrooms. Season and cook gently for a few minutes or until the mushrooms have softened.

Stir in the flour and cook for another minute, then gradually add the milk. Season generously, bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat and cook for a few minutes, until thickened. Stir in the cream cheese and half of the Parmesan, then remove from the heat and stir in the spinach until wilted.

Whisk the egg, ricotta and parsley together in a bowl and season generously.

Spoon a quarter of the sauce into a large, deep, rectangular dish. Cover with lasagne sheets. Add a third of the ricotta mix, then add a third of the chicken, a third of the mozzarella and a small sprinkling of Parmesan. Repeat these layers twice more, then finish with a layer of lasagne sheets and the last of the sauce and remaining Parmesan.

Bake for 25 minutes, until bubbling and browned. Leave to settle before cutting into squares and serving with salad.

(Original recipe from More Midweek Meals by Neven Maguire, Gill Books, 2022.)

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Tagliatelle with Mushrooms and Harissa

Posted in Food, Pasta, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on 16 December 2022| Leave a Comment »

Perfect dish for nights when you’ve little energy – dinner for two in ten minutes and lots of flavour.

Wine Suggestion: A warmer climate Shiraz/Syrah is our choice as you need the juicier fruit, but nothing too jammy please. Tonight a glass of the Wolftrap Red from Boekenhoutskloof in South Africa. Mostly Shiraz but with a touch of Mourvèdre and Viognier it has the fruit to counter the harissa heat, and a balance that doesn’t overwhelm the food.

Tagliatelle with mushrooms and harissa – serves 2

  • 150g tagliatelle
  • 300g chestnut mushrooms
  • 4 scallions
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 6 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 tbsp harissa paste
  • grated Parmesan, to serve

Bring a large pan of very salty water to the boil, then cook the tagliatelle according to the timings on the pack.

Warm the olive oil in a large frying pan, then add the mushrooms and cook for about 5 minutes or until starting to brown. Add the garlic and cook for a minute, then add the scallions and continue to cook for a couple of minutes or until softened. Stir in the harissa paste.

Drain the pasta quickly and not too well, then tip into the pan with the mushrooms. Toss everything together, then serve in warm bowls with the Parmesan sprinkled over.

(Original recipe from A Cook’s Book by Nigel Slater, 4th Estate, 2021.)

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Gnocchi with Mushrooms & Paprika Butter

Posted in Food, Italian, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on 10 November 2022| Leave a Comment »

We love simple ideas like this one for mid-week inspiration. We used ready-made spinach gnocchi, try and find a decent brand if you can.

Gnocchi with mushroom and paprika butter – serves 3

  • 50g butter
  • 400g chestnut mushrooms
  • 1 clove of garlic, crushed
  • 2 tsp chopped rosemary
  • ½ tsp hot smoked paprika
  • 500g pack gnocchi
  • 100ml sour cream or crème fraîche
  • grated Parmesan, to serve

Heat a small knob of the butter in a pan, add the mushrooms and ½ tsp salt, and cook until soft and golden.

Add the rest of the butter, garlic and rosemary, then cook gently for 4-5 minutes.

Stir in the paprika and season with black pepper, then keep over a low heat while you cook the gnocchi.

Drain the gnocchi and tip into the mushroom pan. Toss everything together and serve in warm bowls with a dollop of cream, lots of black pepper and some Parmesan.

(Original recipe by Janine Ratcliffe in Olive Magazine, October 2019.)

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Chicken and Courgettes with Creamy Mushroom and Tarragon Sauce

Posted in Chicken, Food, Gluten-free, tagged , , , , , , , , , on 24 July 2022| Leave a Comment »

It’s courgettes from now on in our house as we have them growing in our little garden and can hardly eat them fast enough. This dish is simple but really delicious – highly recommended. Serve with rice or potatoes.

Wine Suggestion: we’re quite fond of the wines of Hungary and think they’re unfairly overlooked, especially the reds which combine an earthy spice, quite often with a real sophistication and elegance. A new find is Csaba and Csilla Sebestyén’s Sekszárd Cuvée, a blend of Kékfrankos, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. The latter two grapes have found a new spiritual home in the south of Hungary and the first a local grape with bags of character.

Chicken and courgettes with creamy mushroom and tarragon sauce – serves 6

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 5 small chicken breasts, cut into strips
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • 2 medium courgettes, cut into thick batons
  • 350g button mushrooms, quartered
  • 2 large garlic cloves, finely grated
  • 200ml dry white wine
  • 200ml double cream
  • juice of ½ lemon
  • 1 heaped tbsp freshly chopped tarragon

Season the chicken with salt and black pepper. Heat the oil in a deep frying pan, then fry the chicken in batches until well-browned on all sides, then remove from the pan and set aside. You may need to add a bit more oil.

Add the onion and cook over a high heat for a few minutes until nicely coloured, then cover the pan with a lid and leave the onions to cook on a low heat for about 15 minutes or until soft. Turn the heat up again and add the courgettes, mushrooms and garlic and fry for a few minutes until softened. Scoop the veg out of the pan and set aside with the chicken.

Add the wine to the pan and boil over a high heat until reduced to about 4 tbsp. Stir in the cream and simmer again for a few minutes until the sauce thickens. Stir in the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Return the chicken and vegetables to the pan for a couple of minutes to heat through. Stir through the chopped tarragon and serve.

(Original recipe from Mary Berry Cooks Up a Feast with Lucy Young, DK: Penguin Random House, 2019.)

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Barbecued Pork Ribeye Steaks with Mushroom & Tarragon Sauce

Posted in Barbecue, Food, Gluten-free, Pork, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on 26 June 2022| Leave a Comment »

Pork ribeyes are a bit of revelation for us but they’re excellent on the barbecue and also good value. You cook them low and slow first, then a fast sear at the end. This will give you tender meat with a good browned crust on the outside. You will need a meat thermometer – they’re not expensive and an essential piece of equipment for cooking outside. You also want to start this the day ahead so you can season the meat the whole way through.

Wine Suggestion: We were treated to a gem from the cellar of our friends David & Joyce. The Domaine Tempier Bandol 2006 was at it’s absolute peak. Fresh as a daisy with velvety layers of plums and sloes and a deep, earthy bass note with touches of leather, tobacco and gentle spices. The forceful tannins from the Mourvèdre tamed by time into a silky texture allowing the fruit to emerge.

Barbecued pork ribeye steaks with mushrooms & tarragon sauce – serves 4 generously

  • 4 pork ribeye steaks, about 300g each
  • 1 tbsp flaked sea salt
  • 10g dried mushrooms
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 25g butter
  • 300g chestnut mushrooms, sliced
  • 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
  • 175ml white wine
  • 300ml double cream
  • 20g fresh tarragon leaves, picked and chopped

Sprinkle the pork steaks all over with the salt and place on a rack over a tray. Leave uncovered in the fridge for 24 hours (or for as long as you’ve got).

When ready to cook you need to set up the barbecue for both direct and indirect heating. This means piling up the charcoal on just one side. You can then put the meat on the opposite side (without charcoal underneath) and cover with the lid to cook indirect – this will cook the meat slowly. When you want to finish over a high heat, you transfer the meat to the other side.

Put the dried mushrooms into a bowl and pour over enough boiling water to just cover. Leave to soak until soft, then finely chop the mushrooms and return to the soaking liquid. Set aside.

Put the pork steaks on the opposite side to the charcoal and allow them to cook gently for 30-40 minutes. You want the internal temperature to reach 50C.

Meanwhile, make the sauce. Heat the oil and butter in a heavy-based frying pan and add the fresh mushrooms. Fry until soft, then add the garlic and fry for a few minutes. Add the wine and the dried mushrooms along with their soaking liquid. Allow to bubble until the liquid is almost completely reduced, then add the cream, tarragon and seasoning. Allow to heat through, then cover with a lid and set aside.

Remove the steaks to a plate and, if you need to, add a bit more charcoal to the barbecue to get it super hot again. Then sear the steaks over a really high heat, with the lid off, turning them every 30 seconds until really well browned. Keep cooking like this on the internal temperature ahas reached 63C for medium or 71C for well done.

Warm the sauce a little if you need, then serve the steaks with the sauce poured over. Potatoes and green veg are good on the side.

(Original recipe from Seared by Genevieve Taylor, Quadrille, 2022.)

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Chicken & Soba Noodle Stir-Fry

Posted in Asian, Chicken, Food, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on 17 May 2022| Leave a Comment »

In our house almost anything will be eaten if it’s mixed with noodles (though not mushrooms sadly … but we’re working on it). Any leftovers of this will make a popular lunchbox too.

Chicken & soba noodle stiry-fry – serves 4

  • 800ml chicken stock
  • 400g chicken breasts
  • 200g dried soba noodles
  • 2 tbsp rapeseed oil
  • a thumb-sized piece of ginger, grated
  • half a red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
  • 1 red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 carrot, peeled and finely shredded
  • 150g green beans, trimmed
  • 150g chestnut mushrooms, sliced
  • 1½ tbsp light soy sauce
  • 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
  • a small handful of coriander leaves, roughly chopped

Bring the chicken stock to the boil in a pot, then add the chicken breasts and cook for 20 minutes. Make sure they are completely submerged in the stock. Remove the chicken breasts, shred with two forks and set aside.

Add the noodles to the chicken stock and cook according to the pack instructions. Remove the noodles from the stock with tongs and set aside, reserve the stock.

Heat the oil in a wok, then stir-fry the ginger, chilli and garlic for 30 seconds. Add the onion, carrot, green beans and mushrooms and stir-fry for 4-5 minutes.

Add the shredded chicken, the noodles, 50ml of the reserved stock, the soy sauce and the sesame oil. Toss to combine and heat through. You can add a little more stock for moisture if you need.

Divide between warm bowls and scatter the coriander over the top.

(Original recipe by Nadine Brown in Olive Magazine, May 2021.)

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Mushroom & Rice Pilaf

Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Vegan, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on 23 April 2022| Leave a Comment »

This vegan dish is a must for mushroom lovers and the leftovers make great lunchboxes. Full of flavours that we wouldn’t usually put together, that’s the joy of recipes from the Ottolenghi Test Kitchen.

Wine Suggestion: We’re suckers for matching mushrooms with either Pinot Noir, or, like here, with Nebbiolo. Luigi Pira’s Langhe Nebbiolo was our choice as it is so authentically nebbiolo without breaking the bank and opening a Barolo, or Barbaresco. Cherries, rose petals and rich iron with an earthy, mushroomy aroma carrying it through; elegance and power all at once.

Mushroom & rice pilaf – serves 4 as a main or 6 as a side

  • 1-2 dried ancho chillies, stems removed – we used dried chipotle chillies as that’s what we had in the cupboard
  • 30g dried porcini mushroom
  • 500ml vegetable stock (or chicken stock if you prefer)
  • 500g oyster mushrooms
  • 500g large portobello mushrooms, stems discarded, and roughly broken by hand into 6 pieces
  • 1 large onion, halved and cut into ½ cm thick slices
  • 10 cloves of garlic, peeled
  • 3 cinnamon sticks
  • 4 whole star anise
  • 150g soft dried apricots, quartered
  • 150ml olive oil
  • 350g basmati rice, washed until the water runs clear and drained well
  • 3 scallions, thinly sliced at a angle
  • 5g picked parsley leaves

Preheat the oven to 220C fan.

Put the dried chillies into a small bowl and cover with boiling water. Leave for 20 minutes, then drain and roughly chop the chillies, including the seeds.

Meanwhile, put the dried mushrooms, stock, 350ml of water, 1¼ tsp of salt and a good grind of pepper into a medium saucepan over a medium heat. Bring to a simmer, then set aside.

Put the oyster mushrooms and portobello mushrooms, onion, garlic, chopped chillies, whole spices, apricots, 120ml of oil, 1 tsp of salt and a good grind of black pepper into a large roasting tin. Stir it all together, then bake for 40 minutes, stirring halfway through.

Remove from the oven and transfer half the mixture to a medium bowl. Stir the rice into the remaining mixture in the tin.

Bring the porcini and stock mixture back to a simmer, then pour over the rice and without stirring, cover the tin tightly with foil. Bake for 25 minutes, then leave to sit, covered, for 10 minutes. Remove the foil and mix gently.

Add the scallions, parsley and final 2 tbsp of olive oil to the reserved mushroom mixture and stir together. Sppon over the rice and serve.

(Original recipe from Ottolenghi Test Kitchen Shelf Love by Noor Murad & Yotam Ottolenghi, Ebury Press, 2021.)

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Sprouting Broccoli with Mushrooms and Stilton

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on 20 February 2022| Leave a Comment »

A nice side dish for a roast dinner.

Sprouting broccoli with mushrooms and stilton – serves 6

  • 500g purple sprouting broccoli or other long-stemmed broccoli
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • a knob of butter
  • 500g chestnut mushrooms, halved or quartered
  • 50g creamy stilton, crumbled
  • a drizzle of best olvie oil

Boil the broccoli in lots of very salt water for about 3 minutes, or until bright green and not quite tender, then drain and rinse under cold water to stop it cooking further. Drain well and set aside (you can do this in advance if you like).

Heat the oil and butter in a large frying pan over a high heat. When the butter is sizzling, add the mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes, until golden.

Add the broccoli and toss with the mushrooms. Cover the pan and cook for about 3 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally, until the broccoli is heated through and the mushrooms have softened.

Season well, then tip into a serving bowl, scatter over the cheese and drizzle over some of your best olive oil.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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Haddock Bake

Posted in Fish, Gluten-free, Potato, tagged , , , , , , , , , on 1 November 2021| Leave a Comment »

This is like a fish pie … but is so much easier to make and perfect for a Friday night after a long week. It’s also usefully gluten-free, unlike many other fish pies. Serve with a big bowl of peas.

Wine Suggestion: A new find from Cabardes in France, Domaine Ventenac’s “les Dissidents” Cassandre. A joyfully fresh Vermentino, a grape we think is the next big thing from southern France.

Haddock Bake – serves 6

  • 350g floury potatoes, peeled and cut into 2cm cubes
  • 500g baby spinach
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 250g chestnut mushrooms, quartered
  • 3 eggs, hard-boiled and cut into quarters (put them into boiling water and time for 8 minutes)
  • 500g skinless smoked haddock, cut into large chunks
  • 300ml double cream
  • 2 tsp grainy mustard
  • 75g mature Cheddar cheese, grated

Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/Gas 6.

Put the potatoes into cold salted water, cover and bring to the boil, then cook for about 10 minutes or until just cooked. Drain well and leave to steam dry in the pot

Heat a large fring pan, add the spinach, and cook until just wilted, then drain in a colander. You will need to do this in batches. Squeeze the spinach against the colander to get rid of as much water as possible. When cool enough to handle you can squeeze it again with your hands.

Heat the oil in the same frying pan, add the mushrooms, and fry for a few minutes until just cooked.

Grease a 2 litre shallow oven-proof dish with a little butter.

Scatter the potatoes, spinach and mushrooms over the base of the dish, then spread the haddock and eggs over the top and season.

Mix the cream and mustard together with some seasoning, then pour over the dish and sprinkle the cheese over the top.

Bake in the oven for 25 minutes, until bubbling and browned on top.

Serve with lots of peas.

(Original recipe from Mary Berry Cooks up a Feast with Lucy Young, DK, 2019.)

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Mushrooms with Garlic & Sherry Vinegar

Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Spanish, Vegan, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on 17 October 2021| Leave a Comment »

Try these to wet your appetite with a glass of sherry and some crusty bread.

Wine Suggestion: It only makes sense to drink a sherry with this dish with our suggestion being for either a good Fino or Amontillado. Fortunately our friends brought over Tio Pepe’s Fino En Rama. A savoury, minerally wine with grilled almond and iodine characters alongside some delightful lemon and apple fruitiness plus a good dollop of yeasty flor overtones.

Mushrooms with garlic & sherry vinegar – serves 4

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 cloves of garlic, finely sliced
  • 500g mushrooms, halve or quarter big ones
  • 2 tbsp sherry vinegar
  • a pinch of hot paprika
  • a small bunch of flatleaf parsley, chopped

Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Add the garlic and fry for 1 minutes, stirring, then add the mushrooms and cook over a high heat until just browned. If they give out liquid, keep cooking until it’s all gone.

Season well with salt and pepper, then add the sherry vinegar. Allow to sizzle until almost evaporated.

Serve the mushrooms with a drizzle of olive oil, a sprinkle of hot paprika and the chopped parsley.

(Original recipe from The Hairy Bikers’ Mediterranean Adventure by Si King & Dave Myers, Seven Dials, 2017.)

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Smoky Beans, Mushrooms, Sausages, Bacon & Eggs

Posted in Brunch, Food, tagged , , , , , , , , , on 22 June 2021| Leave a Comment »

It’s very rare that we cook a brunch like this but we’re glad we tried this one. Buy top quality sausages, bacon and eggs and you will have a feast!

Smoky beans, mushrooms, sausages, bacon and eggs – serves 2 (generously!)

  • 1 tbsp veg oil, plus a bit extra
  • 4 chipolata sausages
  • 4 bacon rasheres
  • 4 large mushrooms, sliced or torn into pieces
  • 1 x 400g tin cannellini beans, don’t drain as you will use the liquid
  • 1 x 400g tin plum tomatoes
  • 1 tsp garlic granules
  • ½ tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1-2 tsp brown sugar
  • a few dashes of Tabasco (optional)
  • 2 eggs

Heat a large heavy pan over a medium heat, then heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil.

Fry the sausages for 5 minutes, or until golden, then push to one side. Add the bacon and cook until godlen and crisp. Remove the sausages and bacon to a warm plate when they’re cooked through.

Add the mushrooms and a little more oil if needed, then fry until golden, scraping up any crispy bits from the bottom of the pan. Remove to the plate with the sausages and bacon.

Tip the cannellini beans and their liquid into the pan, then add the tomatoes, garlic granules and dried thyme. Bring to a simmer, breaking the tomatoes up with a wooden spoon. Add the paprika, sugar, worcestershire sauce and some seasoning, then simmer for 10-15 minutes or until slightly reduced and thickened.

Nestle the sausages into the beans, then make two gaps in the mixture and crack in the eggs. Cover with a lid or foil and cook for 5-8 minutes or until the eggs are set. Top with the bacon and mushrooms and serve with some Tabasco if you like.

You will need toast or crusty bread to mop it all up.

(Original recipe by Anna Glover in Olive Magazine, June 2021.)

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Oven-baked Pearl Barley Pilaf with Chicken and Mushrooms

Posted in Chicken, Food, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on 30 March 2021| Leave a Comment »

This is a Romanian dish called Pilaf cu pui ciuperci. We haven’t knowingly cooked any Romanian dishes until now, but we recently purchased Carpathia: Food from the Heart of Romania by Irina Georgescu. This is a beautiful book and we’re looking forward to cooking many more dishes. While Irina suggests blitzing the veg in the food processor, we chopped them by hand. Either way you want them nice and fine but not blitzed to a pulp. Serve with salad.

Wine Suggestion: Unfortunately we didn’t have a Romanian wine to hand but we can attest it works well with one of our favourite wines: the Ch du Hureau Saumur-Champigny “Tuffe”. Elegance, style and grace, but also very grounded and earthy and what we love about Cabernet Franc from the Loire.

Oven-baked pearl barley pilaf with chicken and mushrooms – serves 4-6

  • 3 tbsp vegetable or sunflower oil
  • 1.5kg chicken pieces, we used thighs and drumsticks but you can joint a whole chicken
  • 2 onions, sliced
  • 300g pearl barley
  • ¼ celeriac, finely diced
  • 2-3 celery sticks, finely diced
  • 1 carrot, finely diced
  • 1 red pepper, finely diced
  • 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
  • 200g chestnut mushrooms, quartered
  • 600ml chicken stock
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 5g black pepper
  • 25g butter, roughly chopped
  • a bunch of parsley, roughly chopped

We found it easier to fry the chicken in a large, heavy frying pan and then to transfer to a large roasting tin. Irina suggests frying and baking in a large deep casserole dish, but we didn’t have one big enough. A roasting tin covered with two layers of foil worked well.

Heat the oil in a large heavy frying pan or casserole dish, over a medium heat. Brown the chicken pieces on all sides – it’s easiest to do this in batches. Transfer the browned chicken to a plate and set aside.

Add the onions to the pan and cook for 10 minutes, then add the pearl barley and stir to coat the grains in the oil, cook for another few minutes.

Preheat the oven to 180C.

Add the chopped vegetables to the pan with the tomatoes, mushrooms, stock and seasoning and gently combine. You might need to transfer to a large roasting tin at this point. You need to be generous with the salt. Arrange the chicken pieces on top and cover the dish with a layer of foil and a lid or if using a roasting tin you can cover with a double layer of foil.

Bake for 40 minutes, then remove the lid and foil and cook for another 10 minutes. Check the vegetables are tender and that the chicken is cooked through, then remove from the oven. Dot the top of the dish with the butter and sprinkle with parsley.

(Original recipe from Carpathia: Food from the Heart of Romania by Irina Georgescu, Frances Lincoln Publishing, 2020.)

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