Mushrooms on Toast

 

Mushrooms on Cheese Toast 

 

Brioche or Boule? Both taste just as delicious. Any well-toasted bread will do. Ooey gooey melted cheese is the very basis of my own version of a French recipe that I once ate at a deli in London that I enjoyed.

A beautiful melange of freshly sautéed wild mushrooms topped the cheese toast.

A sharp cheese like Gruyere or cheddar works best. 

Individually served or baked in a dish to share at the table.

                 Toasted Boule with gruyere - wild mushrooms with crisp shards of lettuce.

Just one serving of the brioche topped with the mushrooms

Serves 12 


Toast the brioche bread, x 12
Butter it well with salted delicious butter. 
Optionally slather with Dijon mustard
Generously top with sliced or shredded cheese, Gruyere and white sharp cheddar works best
Place all the twelve pieces of brioche next to one another in a large 13 x 9 shallow dish.

Grill until melted and bubbles.

In a skillet melt 2 tbsp of olive oil and 2 tbsp of butter, 
Add 1 kg of sliced mixed mushrooms, chantarelle, brown, cremini, shitake, portobello
2 springs of fresh thyme
salt to taste
1/4 cup of sherry or port or cognac

Optionally 1/4 cup whipping cream.

Bring to a boil, cover, lower and cook for 30 minutes. 
With the flame on high and removing the lid, allow it to boil, evaporating the liquid leaving a few tablespoons of liquid for the topping. Stir and mix - pour all over the prepared brioche and serve immediately. 

Tips

You may prepare the mushrooms well ahead of time. Simply reheat them to a boil before pouring them on.

Adding a dash of cream changes the consistency and gives it a creamier finish. 

Brioche freezes well. Its simple to make as little or as much as required on the day off.

Fresh oregano, mixed dry herbs de provence all work well with the mushroom.

My published cookbooks are available for sale through myself and on Amazon.

The World of Parsi Cooking: Food Across Borders is a 3 award winning book. It has been self published in July 2019 and will be going into its second print in 2022. 

The Art of Parsi Cooking; reviving an ancient cuisine was published in 2016 by Austin Macauley and continues to be available through amazon book depot book depository and from the publishers.

Photo courtesy Niloufer Mavalvala

Mushroom Pate`

Mushroom Pate`

A lovely choice for any party or a crowd. It is delightful as mushrooms and cheese make a yummy combination. Serve it up with seaweed crackers, plain toast, or even garlic bread. 
It is all divine.

A biscuit and mushroom pate` makes a delicious starter

The texture of the pate`

Even Mushrooms can look elegant!

Serves 15 to 20 people

4 tbsp unsalted butter

6 finely chopped green onions with the stalks 

650 g/ 1.5 lb of mixed mushrooms-washed, trimmed, and roughly chopped chanterelle, shitaki, Portobello, brown, and white cap

Salt and freshly ground pepper to season.

1/3 cup of  dry sherry

250g/ 8 oz room temperature cream cheese

2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley or coriander

125 g/ 4 oz chopped toasted walnuts

65 g/ 2 oz chopped toasted pecans

A few drops  of Tabasco

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

In a pan, melt the butter and green onions together. Give it a stir and add the mushrooms. Season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Cook until tender and all the liquid is gone, stirring it every few minutes. It may take about 15 minutes. Now add the sherry and continue cooking till it has evaporated.

Cool. 

In another bowl, mix together the cream cheese with the parsley or coriander, chopped nuts, and season it with Tabasco and lemon juice. Taking a handful of mushrooms to garnish the top, combine the rest of the mushroom mixture into it and place it in three serving moulds to chill overnight. Keep it covered. 

Tips

Mixing the warm mushrooms into the cream cheese mixture makes it easier to stir them in. Just avoid it being hot or the cheese will melt and spoil the texture.

A couple of drops of Tabasco and a tsp of lemon juice are enough to season.

Rum, port, gin, or vodka are all good substitutes for sherry. 

Use your favourite herb if you prefer. Both basil and chives work well with mushrooms. 

Leave 3 tbsp of cooked mushrooms aside to top the cup, as it is a great way to plate and serve up the pate`.

My published cookbooks are available for sale through myself and on amazon.

The World of Parsi Cooking: Food Across Borders is a 3 award winning book. It has been self published in July 2019 and will be going into its second print in 2022. 

The Art of Parsi Cooking; reviving an ancient cuisine was published in 2016 by Austin Macauley and continues to be available through amazon book depot book depository and from the publishers.

Photo courtesy Niloufer Mavalvala

Melange of Mushrooms and Spinach topped withEggs.

 Melange of  mushrooms and spinach topped with eggs/Champignons aux épinards  melange et œufs



Something festive yet easy to make for your family this weekend.
This recipe is for 8 persons.

Cooked Mushrooms and spinach with eggs 

Cover the pot with a lid to allow the eggs to poach in the steam.

In a skillet melt 3 oz /45 gm of salted butter + 1 tbsp olive oil. 
Add 2 cups of thickly sliced mushrooms. Use a melange of them; mixing it up gives different flavours, textures and colours. 

Cook this for 5-7 minutes until it softens and add 1 clove of freshly grated garlic.
Add 4 cups of spinach leaves. Use soft young kale, baby spinach, arugula, mix of any kind of green leaves you enjoy eating. season it with salt and pepper; substitute nutmeg for pepper if you prefer. 

Add a pinch of sugar to all this and then finally add 3 drops/dashes of truffle oil; use this sparingly it is terribly pungent! 

When ready to eat, break 8 eggs; at room temperature on a hot skillet of vegetables, cover and cook for 5 minutes until the eggs are set just right.

Optional ingredient: Add 3 oz full cream to make this richer if you like. This brings the mushroom and spinach together and looks more attractive too if you are entertaining.
Eat warm with crusty bread.

Tips: Truffle oil has a strong smell and flavour of mushrooms. It is available in dark and light form.  You may substitute truffle oil for easily available Worcestershire Sauce. But again use sparingly. 
Dried ground porcini mushrooms can be sprinkled in it if you like.
These are some choices. Use any or all as your family prefers.
Or again make it individually in ramekins for a sit down dinner. Ramekins need to go into the oven over a baine marie (simply put, water bath!). Bake for approximately 15 minutes in a preheated oven of 350F/180C.  To make this perfect,the vegetables should be hot, the water should be boiling and the eggs at room temperature. Do not cover the ramekins.

To make it more festive add a tbsp of rum or sherry initially when the mushrooms are cooking. It adds a delicious sweetness to the finished dish.

For more recipes with eggs click on
Niloufer's Kitchen: Quick and Easy
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HBSBLI4

For more interesting recipes click on 
Niloufer's Kitchen: Winter
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00G2US0EK
or
Niloufer's Kitchen; French Bistro
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00J2KMB4C

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

Pickled Mushrooms

Pickled Mushrooms

Little baby white mushrooms work best for this recipe. They are used with pasta and in salads on pizza and other recipes. While you can easily buy them in the deli section of super markets, the cost of this to prepare at home is just a fraction. It will store well when refrigerated. Keep it covered with the oil.

Pickling mushrooms is easy and takes a couple of  minutes to prepare but will take 48 hours to mature.

Ingredients and method

450gms/1 lb small mushrooms, washed and wiped

Mix together
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1 cup olive oil
3 finely chopped fresh cloves of garlic
a few sprigs of oregano
1 flat ts of chili flakes
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp brown sugar

Mix all the ingredients well. Wash and wipe the mushrooms and dunk them in the mixture. Cover and keep in a cool dry place for 48 hours. shake the mixture from time to time.

Use or store in a jar for up to 1 month refrigerated.

Tips
Add a couple of sun dried tomatoes, capers, olives, fresh red chillies. Any of these will be perfect!



For recipes with these pickled mushrooms click
Niloufer's Kitchen: Winter
http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00G2US0EK

Photo credit  Nafeesa Jalal

Mushroom Galette

Mushroom Galette

The French term of Galette refers to a sweet or savoury puff pastry pie. 
 It is generally "open faced" where one can see the topping. Filled with fresh fruits like apricots, pears, apples and berries with a light custard base.The savoury ones have a choice of mushrooms, cheese, meats etc.
In France they prepare the "galette comple`te /complete galette". This is prepared a slice of ham and emmental cheese and an egg to top it off!

Galettes are less fussy than a tart and one has more of the crispy pastry to savour than the filling. It is an informal snack and very popular in France. They can be any shape or size.

Every food seems to be linked to an occasion and the Galette is no different. Traditionally referred to as Galette des rois  or the "King Cake" it is eaten on the day of Epiphany. This falls in the month of January and also called the Christian Feast Day. Traditionally this celebrates the ascension of the Magi's or the wise men. Galette des rois is a sweet pie made up of a thick layer of frangipane (almond filling) and often covered with slices of apples. With the combinations being infinite there is no longer a specific recipe to be called a galette!

Mushroom Galette

One packet of frozen puff pastry. This generally has 2 rolls. It should make 12 galettes.
Thaw this in the fridge overnight. Rollout and make into 6 squares from each. Mark each square with a thin edge and fold it over on all four sides,  making it look like an encased square.
Brush this with melted butter or cream or milk. Top with Mushroom Duxelles. Place on a baking sheet.
Preheat the oven to 400F/225C.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes till the pastry is cooked through.

Tips
Add a slice of cheese and top with mushrooms.

Click the link for an Apricot Galette
Click here for the Pear Galette


Keep the mushrooms sliced if you prefer and using my recipe as the Mushroom Duxelles.
Click link http://www.nilouferskitchen.com/2014/04/duxelles.html


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

Mushroom Crepes

Duxelles

Wild Mushroom Duxelles

A  very creative 17th Century French Chef François Pierre de la Varenne  created a melange of mushrooms which were used to stuff pastry and make pies.  He named this work of art after his employer the then Marquis of d' Uxelles; a Jura/town in East France, within the region of Comte`. 

Duxelles are commonly used as 'stuffing' and commonly an ingredient in Beef Wellington as a substitute to Pate.  A finely chopped mix of your favourite choice of mushrooms, sauted in butter and olive oil, with minced shallots,  a blend of favourite herbs and a dash of salt to finish it off. I like to add finely chopped garlic and a deep red port wine or cognac to add to its wonderful flavours. Cooked until all the liquid is evaporated the finished product looks like this picture below.

Duxelles

1lb/ 1/2 kg mushrooms
2 tbsp salted butter
1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 clove of garlic
1 tsp finely chopped parsley 
2 shallots
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup Port wine

Wash and wipe the mushrooms.
Finely chop the mushrooms. Melt the butter and add the olive oil, Add the finely chopped shallots, the minced garlic, the mushrooms and the Port wine. Sprinkle with salt. Saute` on a medium flame. Once the liquid is almost evaporated add the parsley.

Tips
Use the herb of choice. Thyme, oregano, rosemary.
Shallots are generally sweeter and milder than onions. But a small onion may be substituted.
Cognac is sharper in taste than Port and perhaps less should be used to begin with. 


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