Mushroom Cobblers

Cobblers with Mushrooms 

Little cups of velvety wild mushrooms topped with a cheesy biscuit to cut the creaminess, flavoured with fresh picked herbs and perhaps a touch of sweet sherry. Oooh, it can taste just a little like heaven. 
Generally, cobblers are fruit-based. But we make our own rules when creating food as an artist, and here I am preparing a wild mushroom ragout—pronounced Ra Gooo—to start off with. 
Just to share some trivia, Ragu and Ragout are different. The former is a much loved meat stew from Northern Italy. The ragout, on the other hand, is a stew made of vegetables, meat, fish, or anything. Both the words are derived from the French word ragouter  meaning "to stimulate your appetite. Quite apt, for sure! 

When ready to serve, imagine them bubbling and oozing; more rustic than delicate, and not suitable for a formal dining table. 
It is a rich and heavy dish, so servings can be small. A fresh green salad with a touch of garlic vinaigrette accompanying this will complement the meal.

Yummy mushroom cobblers

Serve in the bowl or slide it out on a plate.

Layered, moist and scrumptious

Makes 12 ramekins

Preheat the oven at 185 C | 375 F

The Filling 1/2 cup of dried mushrooms, soaked in 1 cup hot water. Steeped for 30 minutes.
3.5 kg/ 4 lbs of mushrooms, thickly sliced
2 cups finely chopped leeks
125 g/ 4 oz salted butter
1 tbsp olive oil
4 garlic cloves, crushed or finely chopped
2 sprigs of thyme
1 sprig of oregano
A handful of freshly chopped parsley
Salt to taste
Mixed peppercorn or freshly ground nutmeg to season
1/2 cup of  sherry, tio pepe or fino
1 cup of cream - 35% fat

Heat the olive oil and the butter. Saute` the mushrooms. Add the chopped leeks and the garlic. Once it has softened, add the remaining water from the soaked mushrooms, strained through a fine sieve (remaining from the dried mushrooms that were soaked prior). Allow it to boil and bubble until the liquid is almost gone. Now sprinkle with salt and peppercorns or nutmeg, the herbs and the sherry. Mix in the cream and bring it to a boil. 
Spoon the mixture into 12 ramekins. 
When ready to bake, top each one with a scoop of the biscuit batter. 
Bake for 25 minutes, or until the biscuit is cooked through. 

The biscuit topping
Makes 12
1 1/3 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
50 g/ 1.75 oz salted butter
1 cup tepid warm buttermilk
170g/ 6 oz grated hard cheddar cheese

In a bowl, sift the dry ingredients. Sifting makes it lighter. Crumble in small bits of butter and 'cut' into it with two knives. Alternately, using only the tips of two fingers, index and middle, gently rub it together until it resembles grainy pebbles. 
Add the buttermilk and bring the dough together. Add shredded cheese and just mix it in till it's folded in. Do not overwork the dough. 
Let it rest for a minimum of 2 hours. 

Tips
Use your favourite mushrooms. A melange always gives a better texture, consistency, and is visually attractive too. They add lots of taste. Morels and shitake mushrooms are both delicious, as are oysters, cremini, and chanterelles. The brown and white mushrooms should make up the majority of the meal. 

A sharp cheddar is best for the biscuit. 
Scoop the biscuit with a small ice cream scoop or use two spoons to make a biscuit ball and press it down. It will be a sticky batter as the buttermilk and baking powder make it rise almost to represent yeast like results. 

The white Fino sherry is best for this dish; it is crisp and light.


For more delicious recipes click
Niloufer's Kitchen:French Bistro
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00J2KMB4C


Photo credit Sheriar Hirjikaka