The Tasty Mushroom Partnership

CHRIS COUBROUGH Crown Hotel, Wells-next-the-Sea
Wild Mushroom Brioche Cup with Poached Egg & Spinach

Ingredients
1 brioche bun
1 egg
1 handful of baby spinach leaves
1 handful of mixed wild mushrooms sliced
1 large field mushroom sliced
1 clove of garlic crushed
1 diced shallot
1 knob of butter
1 splash of white wine
1 good glug of double cream
1 Pinch of tarragon
1 Pinch of thyme
salt & pepper

Method
Hollow out the brioche bun & warm in the oven.
In a hot pan, wilt the spinach in a little butter.
Place this in the bottom of the brioche.
Poach an egg then place on top of the spinach in the brioche bun.
In a hot pan melt the butter ,add the shallots & garlic then add all the mushrooms & sauté for a minute Add the wine then the cream with the herbs and a small knob of butter and reduce gently for a minute. Season and serve in the brioche bun. Ideal served for brunch or a light snack.

GALTON BLACKISTON Morston Hall, Norfolk
Risotto Milanese with Wild Mushrooms
Serves 6
4 shallots or 1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped
75 g (3 oz) butter
200 g (7 oz) Arborio risotto rice
425 ml (’ pint) chicken or
1 tsp saffron threads, infused in 1 tbsp boiling water
225 g (8 oz) mixed wild mushrooms
100 g (4 oz) Parmesan, freshly grated
3 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
a little oil for frying
salt and pepper
vegetable stock

I do not claim to be an authority on the subject, but risotto should be served ‘all onda’, that is to say, on the wave: when you spoon it onto the plate, it should still flow a little. Like all the best things in life, the more you practise the better you become. The same holds true for the art of cooking a risotto.

Method
In a heavy bottomed pan fry the shallots in the butter until soft, but not browned. With the pan still on the heat, add the rice, stirring
constantly, until the grains are well coated in butter. Add 400 ml
(14 fl oz) of the cold chicken stock together with the saffron. Season, and bring gently to the boil stirring occasionally. Once the pan is
boiling evenly, remove from the heat, cover with a tight fitting lid or foil if necessary. It is important that the pan is covered by the lid or the foil to keep in the steam, which completes the cooking of the rice. Set aside for 30 minutes.
About 5 minutes before removing the lid from the rice, heat a little
oil in a frying pan and lightly saute the wild mushrooms, season and set aside.
Remove the lid from the rice and taste. The rice should be cooked and slightly sloppy in texture. If it is too thick add the remaining 25 ml
(1 fl oz) of stock.
Finally, stir in the grated Parmesan and chopped parsley, spoon into individual serving dishes and top with the sauteed wild mushrooms..

CARLA PHILLIPS Wells-next-the-Sea, Norfolk
Wild Mushroom Soup

600-700 gms. Onions, very finely sliced
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
30 gms. Butter
1 tbsp. Sunflower oil
250 gms. Large flat mushrooms, sliced
1-2 tbsp. of dried wild mushrooms, soaked
for an hour in a teacup of hot water
1 dsp. Of Tamari soy sauce
1 tbsp. of Marsala
1 dsp. of tomato puree
½ litre of milk
2 tbsp. of cream
Salt, pepper, pinch of cayenne
Parsley

Method
Heat up a largish saucepan. When hot put the sliced onions in and stir them over the heat until they are hot, steamy and just beginning to colour. Now, Add the butter and oil, lower the heat and cook the onions very slowly until they are soft and golden brown. Add the garlic and continue to cook for a minute or two.
Bump up the heat a little and add the sliced fresh flat mushrooms and when these start to soften, drain and strain the soaked wild mushrooms, reserving the liquid. Cook, stirring another couple of minutes, then add the Marsala, tomato puree and Tamari. Add the strained mushroom water and enough water to cover the ingredients well and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and leave the soup to cook for ½ hour to 40 minutes. Add the milk and, at the last moment, the cream and season to taste. Garnish with parsley.

CARLA PHILLIPS Wells-next-the-Sea, Norfolk Wild Mushroom Tartlets Baked tartlet shells – made of short crust pastry, baked blind (8-12 of them) ½ Fresh wild mushrooms 30 gms. Butter 2 shallots Thyme (a little branch of fresh thyme) 1 tbsp. of dry Sherry Salt and pepper 2 tbsp. of double cream A little parmesan or grated gruyere (optional) Method Clean the wild mushrooms with a slightly dampened cloth and cut off any earthy stems or suspect bits – slice them roughly. Chop the shallots very finely. Place a frying pan on the stove, heat it and put the shallots into it, stirring well, until they start to steam. Add the butter and branch of thyme, lower the heat and cook until soft. Then, turn up the heat and throw in the mushrooms. Cook until they are changed in texture, add salt and pepper and the sherry. Retrieve the mushrooms from the pan, and strain or, place them in a colander, to get any cooking juice. Put these cooking juices back into the frying pan and reduce the remains well. Add the cream and reduce it again. Season well. Put the cooked mushrooms into the tartlet shells and cover them with the lovely gooey juices. Warm the tartlets briefly before serving, and if you like, sprinkle with the cheese before doing this final warming.

IAN HOWELL The Swan Hotel, Southwold, Suffolk Fricassee of Wild Mushrooms This recipe is featured in the new book. 250gms Sliced cleaned mixed wild mushrooms 50gms Unsalted butter 1 Onion finely sliced 2 Cloves of Garlic finely sliced A handful finely chopped flat leafed parsley 2 Tomatoes de-seeded and chopped 1 Dessert spoon Water 20gms freshly grated Parmesan Salt and pepper to taste Method Sauté the mushrooms garlic and onion in the butter over a high heat for about 45 seconds add chopped parsley and tomato and then add the water to aid the infusion. Serve as a starter topped with fresh grated Parmesan cheese. This dish can also be used as a sauce to accompany other dishes.

PETER JORDAN Southwold, Suffolk St Georges Croustade Serves 6 Croustade base 150gms Wholemeal breadcrumbs 150gms Plain Flour 100gms Chopped mixed nuts Teaspoon Chopped basil 75gms Softened butter 1 Large Egg. Filling 500gms St George’s Mushroom cleaned and sliced 100gms Onion finely sliced 2 Cloves of garlic crushed and sliced 75gms Butter 450 ml Milk 2 Heaped teaspoon flour 3 Tomatoes finely sliced 6 Spears of cooked asparagus Salt and pepper to taste Method Croustade base Mix together all the ingredients in a food processor and mix well. Line a well greased 9inch flan tin with the mixture pressing well down about to about 1/2inch thick. Bake in a pre heated oven 200 C for about 12-15 minutes until set take out and allow to cool. Filling Sauté mushrooms onion and garlic in the butter for about 2-3 minutes add the milk and stir in the flour and cook until the mixture thickens add a little more flour if required, adjust the seasoning you can use some grated nutmeg if you like. Spoon the mixture into the case and decorate with the asparagus and tomato slices. Cover and return to the oven 170 C for 10 minutes serve warm. This base can be used for a variety of wild mushroom fillings as the earthy flavour does much to enhance the dish.