Wild things: four moreish mushroom dishes for you to try

Making risotto is a simple skill to master, and once you make one, you can experiment with a variety of ingredients. The trick is to continue adding the hot stock slowly, stirring as you go, until the rice is just cooked. This takes time. For extra flavour, try frying the mushrooms on their own separately, before adding them in.

Ingredients, serves 4

50g dried porcini mushrooms

1 litre chicken or veg stock, hot

50g butter

2 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, peeled and finely sliced

2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely sliced

200g wild mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

400g Arborio rice

1 glass white wine

Salt and pepper

1 lemon, juice only

4 sprigs thyme

50g Parmesan, grated

Method

1. Add the dried porcini mushrooms to a bowl and spoon over a ladleful of hot stock. Soak for about 15 minutes before removing from the stock. Slice the mushrooms and leave to the side. Add any stock leftover back into the pot.

2. Heat a large frying plan and add half the butter and all of the oil. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until softened but not coloured. Add all of the mushrooms and fry off for several minutes, until soft.

3. Add the rice and stir until each grain is coated. Pour in the glass of white wine, fry off for a minute or two before adding a ladleful of hot stock. Stir and repeat, adding more stock slowly each time the rice has soaked it all up. Continue to cook for about 30 minutes or until the rice is cooked. Season, add the lemon juice, the rest of the butter and thyme and serve with some freshly grated Parmesan

TIP: To check if your rice is cooked, bite into a grain. The centre of the rice should only be a little bit white, with a bit of a bite, aka ‘al dente’.

Mushroom and noodle stir fry

A quick and easy mid-week meal that’s full of dark, umami flavours.

Ingredients, serves 4

1 tbsp sunflower

2 tsp sesame oil

2 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced

1 red chilli, sliced

1 thumbsize piece ginger, peeled and grated

400g mixed mushrooms, such as shiitake, enoki or oyster

1 red pepper, sliced

1 green pepper, sliced

50ml vegetable stock

2 tbsp shaoxing rice wine

3 tbsp dark soy sauce

1 tsp caster sugar

400g soba noodles

1 bunch spring onions, sliced

2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Method

1. In a large wok, add the oils. Once hot, fry off the garlic, chilli and ginger for 30 seconds. Make sure it doesn’t burn.

2. Add the mushrooms and peppers and fry off for several minutes, until the peppers and mushrooms start to colour. Meanwhile, mix the veg stock with the rice wine, soya sauce and sugar. Stir. Add to the stir fry.

4. Cook the noodles as per the packet instructions. Drain and add to the wok and toss through. Sprinkle over the sliced spring onion and toasted sesame seeds to serve.

TIP: Add pork to make it carnivorous.

Mushroom, onion and goat’s cheese tartlets

This is a great recipe for parties and gatherings, particularly since it caters to vegetarian guests. The ready-made pastry takes all the work out of it.

Ingredients, serves 4-6

1 sheet ready-rolled puff pastry

1 tbsp olive oil

2 red onions, peeled and thinly sliced

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp butter

150g mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

150g goat’s cheese, crumbled

2 sprigs thyme

1 egg, beaten

Rocket, to garnish

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/gas mark 6. Roll out the pastry onto a baking tray. Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, slice into four or six rectangles creating a border within each rectangle. Place into the fridge.

2 Add the olive oil to a frying pan and fry off the sliced onion until soft. Add the vinegar and sugar and continue to fry for several minutes. Set aside.

3. Add the butter to the same pan used for the onions and fry off the mushrooms until soft. Set aside.

4. Crumble the goat’s cheese and sprinkle in some thyme.

5. Remove the pastry from the fridge. Top each rectangle with some fried onions and mushrooms and top with the goat’s cheese. Use the beaten egg to glaze the outside of the pastry and bake in the oven for about 25 minutes, until the pastry is golden and the cheese melted.

6. Serve with some rocket leaves and a drizzle of olive oil.

TIP: Make double the amount of caramelised onion and use for burger toppings, with steak or serve with mushrooms on toast.

Potatoes with mushrooms and onions

This is a super easy side that is great served on the side of steak. It’s also a nice way of using up any leftover mushrooms in your fridge – not that an excuse is needed.

Ingredients, serves 4

1kg baby potatoes

Olive oil

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

2 tsp Dijon mustard

6 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed

1 handful fresh rosemary, chopped

Salt and pepper

400g mushrooms, cleaned

Parmesan, optional

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/gas mark 6. Par-boil the potatoes until just tender. Drain and, with the lid on, shake them about in the pot while still hot to break them up a bit. Leave to steam for a few minutes.

2. Add some olive oil, vinegar and mustard to a large bowl. Add the potatoes and give a good toss. Add the garlic and rosemary and toss again. Add the mushrooms and season.

3. Spread on a large baking tray and roast in the oven for about 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are golden and cooked through. You will need to give a toss every 10 minutes or so.

4. Serve with some freshly grated Parmesan.