Unfortunately, there are no competitions for “most unappetising blogpost title”, or I would just have won a million pounds. Perhaps I should have lured you in with promises of cheese and bacon and steak before revealing the truth.
Having managed the feat of following a week’s holiday with a weekend at my parent’s house, I was in need of something other than cheese and bacon and steak. Starting days with a full cooked breakfast and concluding them with a massive fish and chip dinner is all very well when you’ve got “climb three mountains” scheduled in between them, but my day-to-day office is somewhat devoid of mountains. The need for some relief from serious food coincided with this unexpectedly pleasant weather – unexpected in the sense of “shit my fridge is full of autumnal ingredients” – and resulted in me thinking of raw salady things.
This is a very pared-back version of this salad, which I’ve made before and would strongly recommend if you fancied something with a bit more variety in, or if you were cooking for more than one. This has a certain elegance all on its own, though, which I rather like.
A couple of notes on ingredients - you can really use 20g of whichever soft herbs take your fancy, although I do recommend using parsley as one of them. Chestnut mushrooms are my second favourite (after flat field ones, which wouldn't work here), but you could use normal white ones. And I hadn't had pecorino in ages, hence using it here, but any parmesan or other hard, strong, cheese would work well. It's just seasoning, really, so do make sure it's quite a salty one.
Raw mushroom salad
100g chestnut mushrooms
½ lemon
1 tbs olive oil
Salt
10g (ish) of parsley
10g (ish) of dill, or another soft herb like tarragon or basil
25g pecorino or parmesan
Thinly slice the mushrooms. In a largeish bowl, juice the lemon, and whisk in the olive oil and a decent pinch of salt. Tip in the mushrooms and stir very well, until each slice is coated in liquid. Leave for 30 minutes to an hour (or more, if you really want to), stirring occasionally to make sure no slices are sitting in the dressing at the bottom for too long.
Finely chop the herbs and shave (i.e. peel very thin slices off with a vegetable peeler; if your cheese is hairy then start thinking about alternative dinner options) the cheese.
When you want to eat, stir the herbs through the mushrooms and place in a flat serving dish. Scatter the cheese shavings artistically over the top.
You’ll probably want some crusty bread to go with this, and/or some extra salad leaves.
Showing posts with label mushrooms. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mushrooms. Show all posts
Wednesday, 3 August 2011
Wednesday, 4 May 2011
Thai prawns and mushrooms
I was going to make this for dinner: Spicy Prawn Soup. I never make soup for dinner, but after my success with the last kinda-soup, I figured I may as well try another.
Of course, I chickened out at the last minute. To be fair, I'd had soup for lunch, and there's only so many semi-liquid meals a girl can consume in a day. But I'd already bought the mushrooms (all the other ingredients are storecupboard/freezer regulars for me), and, as the boy is allergic to them, they had to be consumed tonight. So I changed the soup into a stir-fry.
A warning about curry pastes before you attempt this. Heat varies between brands. I used M&S's Red Thai Curry Paste in this, because I know it's coconutty and mild (and I highly recommend it if you can get your hands on it, inauthentic as it probably is). I've tried Bart's before and it is about three times as hot. Others might be even stronger. I know I can get away with stir-frying a couple of tablespoons of this paste, with nothing added to temper the heat, and not blow my head off. I'd suggest either: a. using a brand you know well and are happy with the heat of, or b. standing ready with vast quantities of coconut milk to temper it down (and turn it into the soup I didn't want in the process).
Thai Prawn and Mushroom stir-fry
125g pack Shiitake mushrooms (this is the size Tesco's sell them in; 40g or so either way doesn't make a big difference. If you can't get hold of shiitakes, just use normal button mushrooms.)
7 or 8 raw tiger prawns (defrosted if frozen)
2 tbs Red Thai curry paste
75g dried rice noodles (or other noodles, but thin rice noodles are my favourite.)
tbs lime leaves, or zest of one lime
tbs fish sauce (nam pla)
This is basically a construction jobby, so get everything ready before you turn on the cooker. Thickly slice the mushrooms, soak or cook your noodles according to the pack instructions (and drain them), and get everything around the hob in easy reach. You could even put things in little bowls if you want to look like you're on the tv.
Once that's done, stick some oil in a wok, and, once hot, tip in the mushrooms. Despite the name of this dish, don't stir them immediately. Leave them to sizzle and turn brown, then stir them and repeat until they are pleasantly brown all over. Move them to one side of the pan.
Place in the prawns, turning them over when they start turning pink (the business of a minute or so). Once pink through, again, push to the side of the pan.
Turn the heat lower, and spoon in your curry paste. It will probably sizzle and might spit a bit, so stand back. Give it 30 seconds, then stir everything in the pan in together. Add the lime leaves/zest and fish sauce, and a drop or two of water if it's looking dry. Stir again, add the noodles, and give everything a final toss together.
Eat.
(With chopsticks if you're pretentious. I am.)
Of course, I chickened out at the last minute. To be fair, I'd had soup for lunch, and there's only so many semi-liquid meals a girl can consume in a day. But I'd already bought the mushrooms (all the other ingredients are storecupboard/freezer regulars for me), and, as the boy is allergic to them, they had to be consumed tonight. So I changed the soup into a stir-fry.
A warning about curry pastes before you attempt this. Heat varies between brands. I used M&S's Red Thai Curry Paste in this, because I know it's coconutty and mild (and I highly recommend it if you can get your hands on it, inauthentic as it probably is). I've tried Bart's before and it is about three times as hot. Others might be even stronger. I know I can get away with stir-frying a couple of tablespoons of this paste, with nothing added to temper the heat, and not blow my head off. I'd suggest either: a. using a brand you know well and are happy with the heat of, or b. standing ready with vast quantities of coconut milk to temper it down (and turn it into the soup I didn't want in the process).
Thai Prawn and Mushroom stir-fry
125g pack Shiitake mushrooms (this is the size Tesco's sell them in; 40g or so either way doesn't make a big difference. If you can't get hold of shiitakes, just use normal button mushrooms.)
7 or 8 raw tiger prawns (defrosted if frozen)
2 tbs Red Thai curry paste
75g dried rice noodles (or other noodles, but thin rice noodles are my favourite.)
tbs lime leaves, or zest of one lime
tbs fish sauce (nam pla)
This is basically a construction jobby, so get everything ready before you turn on the cooker. Thickly slice the mushrooms, soak or cook your noodles according to the pack instructions (and drain them), and get everything around the hob in easy reach. You could even put things in little bowls if you want to look like you're on the tv.
Once that's done, stick some oil in a wok, and, once hot, tip in the mushrooms. Despite the name of this dish, don't stir them immediately. Leave them to sizzle and turn brown, then stir them and repeat until they are pleasantly brown all over. Move them to one side of the pan.
Place in the prawns, turning them over when they start turning pink (the business of a minute or so). Once pink through, again, push to the side of the pan.
Turn the heat lower, and spoon in your curry paste. It will probably sizzle and might spit a bit, so stand back. Give it 30 seconds, then stir everything in the pan in together. Add the lime leaves/zest and fish sauce, and a drop or two of water if it's looking dry. Stir again, add the noodles, and give everything a final toss together.
Eat.
(With chopsticks if you're pretentious. I am.)
Tuesday, 12 April 2011
An omelette for not-quite-summer
After the gorgeous weather at the weekend, I was going to make a really light, herb-filled, summer omelette tonight. It's been just as sunny today, but the temperature has dropped somewhat, and dinner suddenly needed bulking up. I had a couple of mushrooms hanging around from making Nigella's Garlic Mushrooms (see note at the bottom for details...), and it occurred to me that they should add just the rich, meaty note I was in need of. Depending on your appetite, you could serve this as is, or with a piece of toast, or an entire garlic baguette!
Watercress and Mushroom Omelette
Two flat field mushrooms, or two handfuls of little mushrooms
Butter
Two eggs
Tsp dried tarragon (or 1 tbs of something fresh - parsley, dill, basil...)
50g watercress (about a large handful)
Tbs or so grated parmesan
Slice the mushrooms, and saute in plenty of butter and salt for five minutes. They need to go through the stages of absorbing the fat, releasing their juices, and then releasing the fat again; at the end they'll start to brown and this is when you need to whip them out of the pan.
Whilst the mushrooms are sizzling away, break the eggs into a bowl with more salt, some pepper, and the dried or fresh herbs, and whisk well. Chop the watercress and grate the parmesan.
Remove the mushrooms from the pan, tipping it to one side and letting any fat drip off them. Put the pan back on the heat, adding a very small further knob of butter; once the butter is sizzling again, tip in the eggs and shake vigorously (more on omelette skills here) for a minute.
Scatter the watercress and parmesan over, then top with the mushrooms. Turn the heat out, but leave the pan on it and stick either a lid or plate over to keep the heat in. The idea here is to slightly wilt the watercress and just melt the parmesan in the residual heat; it will take about as long as it takes you to get out a plate, knife, and fork, and pour a glass of wine.
PS. For Nigella's Garlic Mushrooms, just make a garlic butter with a tbs of butter, a crushed large clove garlic (use two if yours are only small or average size), and plenty of salt and pepper. Smear this over two flat field mushrooms, then roast at 200 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Serve with toast or (as she recommends) in a ciabatta bap.
Watercress and Mushroom Omelette
Two flat field mushrooms, or two handfuls of little mushrooms
Butter
Two eggs
Tsp dried tarragon (or 1 tbs of something fresh - parsley, dill, basil...)
50g watercress (about a large handful)
Tbs or so grated parmesan
Slice the mushrooms, and saute in plenty of butter and salt for five minutes. They need to go through the stages of absorbing the fat, releasing their juices, and then releasing the fat again; at the end they'll start to brown and this is when you need to whip them out of the pan.
Whilst the mushrooms are sizzling away, break the eggs into a bowl with more salt, some pepper, and the dried or fresh herbs, and whisk well. Chop the watercress and grate the parmesan.
Remove the mushrooms from the pan, tipping it to one side and letting any fat drip off them. Put the pan back on the heat, adding a very small further knob of butter; once the butter is sizzling again, tip in the eggs and shake vigorously (more on omelette skills here) for a minute.
Scatter the watercress and parmesan over, then top with the mushrooms. Turn the heat out, but leave the pan on it and stick either a lid or plate over to keep the heat in. The idea here is to slightly wilt the watercress and just melt the parmesan in the residual heat; it will take about as long as it takes you to get out a plate, knife, and fork, and pour a glass of wine.
PS. For Nigella's Garlic Mushrooms, just make a garlic butter with a tbs of butter, a crushed large clove garlic (use two if yours are only small or average size), and plenty of salt and pepper. Smear this over two flat field mushrooms, then roast at 200 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Serve with toast or (as she recommends) in a ciabatta bap.
Monday, 7 March 2011
Mushroom and Goat's Cheese Tagliatelle
This is a rich, luxurious pasta dish. It's not a speedy one, and will demand a good half hour of your attention; but that half hour is one of gentle chopping and stirring which should slowly stroke away the stresses of your Monday.
Mushroom and Goat's Cheese Tagliatelle
1/2 onion
1 large clove garlic
4 large chestnut mushrooms
10g dried porcini
1/2 tsp dried tarragon
200ml boiling water
100ml white wine
75g tagliatelle
100g goats' cheese
1/2 tsp truffle oil
Finely chop the onion and garlic. Chop and slice the mushrooms so you have a variety of different shapes and thicknesses. Soak the dried porcini and dried tarragon in the boiling water (they will probably want around 15 minutes).
Heat a teaspoon of butter in a small saucepan, over a low heat, and gently saute the onion for 10 minutes or so, until it is soft and slightly yellow, but without browning it. Add the garlic, and saute for another minute or two, until it loses its sharp white colour. Add the fresh mushrooms, a decent pinch of salt, and saute for a couple of minutes until they start giving up their juices.
Around the same time, get the pasta water on to boil, and tip in the pasta.
Turn up the heat slightly on the mushroom pan. Remove the dried porcini from their soaking liquid (keeping the liquid itself), and chop them roughly, then add to the mushroom pan and stir in to the rest of the mixture. Tip in the wine and boil until you stop smelling the strong alcohol evaporating off: around a minute. Then add the soaking liquid from the dried porcini, stopping before you get to any gritty bits at the bottom. Bring to a gentle boil and reduce until you just have a little liquid left in the pan.
Chop the goats' cheese into 1 cm chunks. Drain the pasta and tip into the mushroom sauce pan; stir well until coated. Tip in the goats' cheese and truffle oil, stir briefly, then serve.
Mushroom and Goat's Cheese Tagliatelle
1/2 onion
1 large clove garlic
4 large chestnut mushrooms
10g dried porcini
1/2 tsp dried tarragon
200ml boiling water
100ml white wine
75g tagliatelle
100g goats' cheese
1/2 tsp truffle oil
Finely chop the onion and garlic. Chop and slice the mushrooms so you have a variety of different shapes and thicknesses. Soak the dried porcini and dried tarragon in the boiling water (they will probably want around 15 minutes).
Heat a teaspoon of butter in a small saucepan, over a low heat, and gently saute the onion for 10 minutes or so, until it is soft and slightly yellow, but without browning it. Add the garlic, and saute for another minute or two, until it loses its sharp white colour. Add the fresh mushrooms, a decent pinch of salt, and saute for a couple of minutes until they start giving up their juices.
Around the same time, get the pasta water on to boil, and tip in the pasta.
Turn up the heat slightly on the mushroom pan. Remove the dried porcini from their soaking liquid (keeping the liquid itself), and chop them roughly, then add to the mushroom pan and stir in to the rest of the mixture. Tip in the wine and boil until you stop smelling the strong alcohol evaporating off: around a minute. Then add the soaking liquid from the dried porcini, stopping before you get to any gritty bits at the bottom. Bring to a gentle boil and reduce until you just have a little liquid left in the pan.
Chop the goats' cheese into 1 cm chunks. Drain the pasta and tip into the mushroom sauce pan; stir well until coated. Tip in the goats' cheese and truffle oil, stir briefly, then serve.
Wednesday, 8 December 2010
Dover sole with cauliflower and mushrooms
Dover sole is one of those things, like partridge, that is perfect for one person - a small sole, on the bone, cooks quickly and is the perfect size. My views on sole are very much those of Nigel Slater ("crisp white tablecloths, doddery waiters, and careful, old-fashioned cooking"), and the crisp white tablecloth was very much in evidence at the restaurant where I got the inspiration for this dish. Of course, they caramelised the cauliflower and turned it into a puree, and the mushrooms were chanterelles, but the drizzle of truffle oil in this more than makes up for the lack of an entire brigade of sous-chefs in my version.
I had this as is, but it would work with some crusty bread, new potatoes, a green veg or a few leaves.
Dover sole with cauliflower and mushrooms
4 regular-sized white mushrooms
1/4 cauliflower
1 whole dover sole, around 250g weight, skinned
Plain flour
butter
4 tbs sour cream or creme fraiche
1 tbs capers
1 tbs chopped parsley
drizzle truffle oil
First deal with the veg: break the cauliflower into smallish florets, and toss these and the mushrooms with a little oil and salt. Pop into an oven at around 200 celsius for ten minutes before starting the rest of the cooking. Drink some wine and read a few pages of the paper whilst you're waiting.
After the ten minutes are up, dust your dover sole lightly in flour and heat a tbs of butter in a frying pan. Once the butter is sizzling decently, slide in the sole and leave it for at least 3 minutes until you can see it browning round the edges. Turn over and repeat on the other side, adding a little more butter if necessary. In total it will need 8-10 minutes, depending on weight.
Once the sole is cooked, turn the oven out and pop the sole in with the veg to keep warm for a moment. Unless you've managed to burn the butter, you should just have a few brown crispy bits in the pan, so don't wipe this out. Just tip in the sour cream, leave to bubble for a minute, then add the capers, parsley, and the truffle oil if you have some hanging round (as a rule, I do). Warm for another 30 seconds or so whilst you put the sole and veg onto a plate, and then tip the sauce over.
I had this as is, but it would work with some crusty bread, new potatoes, a green veg or a few leaves.
Dover sole with cauliflower and mushrooms
4 regular-sized white mushrooms
1/4 cauliflower
1 whole dover sole, around 250g weight, skinned
Plain flour
butter
4 tbs sour cream or creme fraiche
1 tbs capers
1 tbs chopped parsley
drizzle truffle oil
First deal with the veg: break the cauliflower into smallish florets, and toss these and the mushrooms with a little oil and salt. Pop into an oven at around 200 celsius for ten minutes before starting the rest of the cooking. Drink some wine and read a few pages of the paper whilst you're waiting.
After the ten minutes are up, dust your dover sole lightly in flour and heat a tbs of butter in a frying pan. Once the butter is sizzling decently, slide in the sole and leave it for at least 3 minutes until you can see it browning round the edges. Turn over and repeat on the other side, adding a little more butter if necessary. In total it will need 8-10 minutes, depending on weight.
Once the sole is cooked, turn the oven out and pop the sole in with the veg to keep warm for a moment. Unless you've managed to burn the butter, you should just have a few brown crispy bits in the pan, so don't wipe this out. Just tip in the sour cream, leave to bubble for a minute, then add the capers, parsley, and the truffle oil if you have some hanging round (as a rule, I do). Warm for another 30 seconds or so whilst you put the sole and veg onto a plate, and then tip the sauce over.
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