Midweek Meals: Five comforting, warming mushroom meals

Mushrooms are in season right now - get the best of their familiar flavour with these recipes from the ieFood archive

Get the best of your mushrooms with these comforting recipes

Chestnut and wild mushroom soup

recipe by:Neven Maguire

You can make this Christmas soup ahead of time - it's the perfect stress-free starter

Servings

6

Preparation Time

 30 mins

Cooking Time

 30 mins

Total Time

 60 mins

Course

 Starter

Ingredients

• 50g dried mixed wild mushrooms, crushed

• 1 tbsp rapeseed oil

• 450g peeled chestnuts (canned or vacuum-packed), chopped

• 1 large onion, finely chopped

• 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme

• 50ml Madeira wine

• 1.2 litres chicken or vegetable stock

• 200ml cream

• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

• snipped fresh chives, to garnish

• fresh micro herbs, to garnish

Method

1. Put the dried wild mushrooms in a heatproof bowl and pour 400ml (14 fl oz) of boiling water over to cover. Set aside for 20 minutes, until they have plumped up. Drain the mushrooms and gently squeeze dry, reserving the soaking liquid.

2. Heat a large pan and add the oil. Add the chestnuts, the onion and drained wild mushrooms and sweat gently for 10 minutes, until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Season to taste.

3. Add the thyme to the pan with the reserved soaking liquid, madeira wine and the stock, stirring to combine. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for another 20 minutes. Stir in the cream and allow to heat through for 1 minute, then whizz with a hand-held blender until as smooth as possible.

4. Season to taste, then blend again until light and foamy, tilting the pan to get the maximum effect.

5. To serve, ladle the soup into warmed bowls. Garnish each one with the chives and micro herbs.

Patatas bravas and baked mushrooms

recipe by:Neven Maguire

Perfect on their own or served as part of a tapas spread

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 20 mins

Cooking Time

 40 mins

Total Time

 60 mins

Course

 Main

Cuisine

 Spanish

Ingredients

• For the patatas bravas:

• 4-6 large rooster potatoes, skin on and cut into wedges

• Sea salt

• 3-4 rosemary sprigs

• 3 cloves of garlic, skin on

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1 large shallot, finely diced

• 2 cloves garlic, crushed

• ¼ tsp chilli flakes

• 3-4 roasted red peppers, scraped and cleaned

• 1 tbsp tomato purée

• 1 tsp smoked paprika

• 200g chopped tomatoes

• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

• For the mushrooms:

• 4 large portobello mushrooms, clean and stalk removed

• 120g sobrasada sausage/chorizo sausage,

• 25g pine nuts

• 1 lemon, zest only

• 20g dried panko breadcrumbs

• 2 tbsp flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

• Olive oil

• Sea salt

• 2 tbsp mayonnaise

•  

Method

1. First make the patatas bravas. Preheat the oven to 180°C ( 350°F/Gas Mark 4).

2. Place the cut potato wedges on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.

3. Drizzle with olive oil and scatter over the rosemary sprigs and garlic.

4. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes & turn over and cook for a further 10-12 minutes until cooked through and golden.

5. Heat a pot over a medium heat and add the olive oil. Add in the diced shallot and crushed garlic followed by the chilli flakes. Mix well and add in the roasted red peppers and the tomato puree and increase the heat. Sprinkle in the smoked paprika and the chopped tomatoes.

6. Stir to combine everything and break up the roasted red peppers using the back of the spoon. Allow to cook for 12-15 minutes on a low heat. Season with sea salt and ground black pepper. If the sauce begins to dry add a spoon of water. Once cooked, remove from the heat and allow to cool

7. When serving the patatas bravas mix 2 spoonfuls of the prepared tomato sauce along with the mayonnaise. Serve the cooked potatoes in a bowl alongside the tomato dip.

8. Next make the mushrooms. Pre heat the oven to 180°C ( 350°F/Gas Mark 4).

9. Place the mushrooms on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.

10. If using the sobrasada sausage, using a fork break it up and mash. If using chorizo sausage diced into bite-size pieces.

11. Carefully divide the sausage amongst each of the mushrooms, pressing down firmly. Scatter over the pine nuts & grate the lemon zest over each one. Drizzle over a little olive oil and sprinkle over the panko breadcrumbs followed by the chopped parsley.

12. Finish with freshly ground black pepper. Place in the oven to bake for 18-20 minutes, until the mushrooms are cooked through.