mushroom mad

Yesterday I got a little carried away on a mushroom trip (not that kind). They just taste so good at the moment, so I have stocked up.

For breakfast, scrambled eggs with mushrooms on toast. It’s a really healthy and sustaining breakfast – the only additions needed are a few sprays of oil, a splash of skimmed milk, and any seasonings desired. (I just stuck with pepper, though thyme or parsley would work well too.)

For lunch, mushroom soup, leftover from one I’d made and frozen a month or so ago. Still just as good as ever, heated on the hob. Adding some freshly chopped spring onions enlivened the soup and brought it back to the present day.

For dinner – the piece de resistance – steak with a red wine and wild mushroom sauce with broccoli and courgettes. For the steak, it’s important to pick a lean cut – like sirloin, or rump (trimmed) – and then grill it. I like mine quite rare.

The sauce does require some oil and a bit of flour – but as long as the quantities are closely monitored there’s no problem.

Red wine and mushroom sauce
(serves 2)

250 g mixed mushrooms (chestnut, portobella, etc.), sliced
4 shallots, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
200 ml red wine (something you’d be happy to drink)
1 tbsp flour
250 ml hot beef, chicken or vegetable stock
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, shallots and garlic and sauté until the shallots are translucent – about 8 minutes.

Sprinkle the flour over and coat the mushroom mixture. Continue to sauté for another 2-3 minutes. Stir frequently.

Add the red wine and stir quickly, allowing the mixture to bubble furiously. A red roux will appear. Add the stock slowly, stirring all the while. Season and continue to simmer for another few minutes, until the steak and vegetables are ready.

I’m not always a fan of red wine sauces – they can be a bit rich, and the quality of the wine is critical. Anything too acidic or too flimsy will ruin the sauce.

Adding something sweet to the sauce, like cherries, would make it a great sauce for poultry meats like duck. I saw a mouth-watering recipe for duck with wild mushrooms and fig sauce on Epicurious last week.