Leftovers time in January’s kitchen

Martin’s always very cautious about picking mushrooms from the wild but a few years ago we bought some old mushroom compost for the garden and we put one of the bags in the greenhouse to see what would happen! We were surrounded by mushrooms of all sizes! I made soups, pate, and stroganoffs out of our unexpected harvest!

Some of the larger ones I roasted in the oven and they make a great supper dish, especially when stuffed with cheese and herbs.

Cheesy Stuffed Mushrooms

I always have cheeses left over from the festive activities – usually a big piece of Stilton! This light supper dish is perfect after all the heavy food we’ve been eating even though it’s got a good serving of cheese in it!

Makes 4. Takes about 30 minutes

4 large field mushrooms

2 tablespoon olive oil

1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 small red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

1 tablespoon plain flour

150ml milk

150g stilton

1 medium egg, separated

Parsley to scatter

Wipe the mushrooms with a lightly dampened kitchen towel then carefully cut away the stalk, cutting down into the mushroom a little.
Brush the tops of the mushrooms with a tablespoon of the oil then stand them upside down (with the brown gills uppermost) on a baking tray.
Heat the remaining oil in a small frying pan and add the onions, garlic and chilli. Dice the stalks and add those to the pan. Fry for 2 or 3 minutes until gently softened.
Sprinkle in the flour and cook for a minute, stirring constantly.
Slowly add the milk a little at a time, stirring until it’s all absorbed. Continue to cook for a couple of minutes until the sauce has thickened a little.
Take off the heat, crumble in the stilton, add the egg yolk and a good grinding of S&P. Mix together well.
Whisk the egg white until it forms soft peaks then carefully using a large metal spoon fold it into the mixture. Don’t over mix it, leaving the mixture light and fluffy.
Spoon equally into the mushrooms. Pop in the oven 200C/180Fan/gas 6 for about 20-30 minutes until the top has risen and is golden brown and bubbly. Scatter over some parsley and serve immediately.

You could vary this recipe by adding different cheeses or herbs or even some chopped cooked bacon

Quick tip

To cook large field mushrooms on their own simply wipe clean with a piece of kitchen paper (avoid washing at all costs) and trim away a little of the stalk. Place a knob of butter onto each one and some S&P then pop in the oven 200C/180fan/gas 6 for about 20-30 minutes depending on their size.

Serve immediately on some granary bread with the juices poured over them.