Magic Mushrooms

Good grief, where does the time go? My apologies for taking so long to write another post, but I have been hors de combat with sick children, then I was away for five days (re-sampling the joys of Italian food), then I had family staying. Anyway, before Easter hits and I am on the road again, I knew I just HAD to post something. So, although I have more recent ideas, I thought I would post something I first wrote, before actually setting up the blog, nigh on a year ago (13th April 2008, to be exact). This came about while searching for a very simple but tasty, quick supper with husband returning late from his daily toils with his calculator. (I’d obviously been on the sherry when I wrote it, but don’t let that put you off!).

As with all the things that I will be writing here, these are not ground-breaking recipes, just ideas to bear in mind and stimulate your own creativity as you peer into the recesses of your fridge wondering what you might be able to knock up from the eclectic mix of bits and pieces which lurk within.

Ok, so here it is…(and please read the footnote at the end):

Magic Mushrooms 1

[Opens fridge] Hmm, what have we got today?
1 packet of chestnut mushrooms. Sell by date 2nd April (it’s now the 13th).
1 packet of large flat mushrooms, sell by date 5th April (bit better).
Tub of crème fraiche – full fat, none of that rubbishy half fat stuff that lends no density of flavour and usually splits on cooking anyway.

Opens packet of chestnut mushrooms. Phwaw! Ok, maybe not! Bit slimey and smell like something died in there. Ok, let’s try the flat ones. Yep, they’re still firm and smell of earth not death. They’ll do. So, chop up into large chunks. Find a heavy saucepan or frying pan – preferably non-stick for easy washing [Aga did a fab range of casseroles with a combined sauté lid – German of origin I believe. It is ALWAYS worth spending money on high quality pans – they last a lifetime. Fissler (German again) are fantastic. I saw a demonstration in Harrods when I was compiling my wedding list and they, together with my Henckels knives, are still going strong 17 years down the line, still looking good as new]. Ok, where was I? Right, melt healthy slab of unsalted butter (c.25g). Take two fat cloves of garlic and crush into pan. Add mushrooms (3 of the large flat ones chopped is good for two people of moderate appetite, 4 for a little more than you really need for a light lunch/supper).

Let them sizzle gently, absorbing butter and garlic for a few minutes. Add a slug of white wine (also always lurking in fridge) and some big shakes form the fresh lemon juice bottle (or about half a small lemon squeezed if you can be bothered).

Leave to reduce for five minutes while tuck kids up. Come back down and add slug of amontillado sherry, together with a good shake of the Worcestershire sauce bottle (store cupboard must-have) and a teaspoon of sugar (caster, brown, granulated or soft – who cares, whatever you have), a twist of salt and pepper, and a tablespoon of crème fraiche. Let this bubble some more while you try and make head or tail of strange subtitled Spanish film on T.V. Absent-mindedly put two slices of toast in the toaster – or on the Aga if you have one. Butter when done. Turn attention away from toast and TV back to mushrooms. Pick some parsley from the windowsill/garden/packet and tear onto mushrooms. Give a stir and divide onto the two slices of toast. Serve to mesmerised husband/partner/friend in front of weird Spanish film.
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Footnote:
I’m also keen to stress that while sell-by dates are obviously to be respected to a certain degree and in some cases more than others (chicken, an obvious example), I think we all know that in this new world order that we live in, a little lee-way is actually built in to the dates so that companies aren’t getting sued left right and centre if a consumer gets ill. I think we just have to use a little common sense – and it is certainly madness (and against the interests of food waste) to be chucking out things which if prodded, poked and smelt, are actually still ok, despite the dreaded sell by date. (To really scare you, I had a strawberry mousse in the fridge the other day with a sell by date of November ’08 – I chucked it in the bin, thought again, took it out, opened it, and for interest stuck my finger in, tasted it and you know what? It was just fine…I ate the lot with no repercussions! Ok, so that’s a bit extreme, but it makes the point about flexible sell-by dates!)
28th March 2009
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Magic Mushrooms 2

Below is a more recent variation of the above that I made when I had some radicchio in the fridge that needed eating up, together with a dog end of gorgonzola and three rashers of bacon. This time I used chestnut mushrooms as they were all I had and, unlike the previous time, they were still reasonably fit and healthy, albeit slightly shrivelled!

You follow the method as above, simply putting the chopped bacon rashers in the pan first to get going, then adding the chopped mushrooms and finally the chopped radicchio and gorgonzola a minute or so after the mushrooms hit the pan. When I did this one, I lacked crème fraiche. It was tasty without, but if you have it, add it – or even a small amount of cream – it just balances the flavours a little and melds them all together nicely.

All you need to go with it now is a glass of the red stuff...

Buon appetito!