“A favourite quick supper dish. It has to be proper sourdough, good butter, a kick of tarragon and a splash of cream. I give all mushrooms a little wash in cold running water and I don’t find they soak up water and become soggy. Some say to use a brush, but I have tried for years and cannot remove all the bits of the forest floor. Toast your bread in a toaster if you like but I love the extra flavour of pan-fried bread in butter or bacon fat.”
Serves 1
Prep time 10 minutes; cooking time: 7 minutes
INGREDIENTS
1 slice of good sourdough
100g ceps, lightly washed and sliced
1 shallot, peeled and finely chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped
A few fronds of tarragon, chopped
1 tablespoon of curly parsley, finely chopped
1.5 tablespoon of butter
1 tablespoon of cold-pressed rapeseed oil
25ml double cream
A knob of butter or bacon fat to fry the sourdough, optional
A few watercress leaves
A splash of Madeira, optional
Good salt and pepper
METHOD
Heat the oil and a tablespoon of butter in a medium-sized frying pan and fry the chopped shallot. It will take a minute or two to soften - don’t colour the shallot.
Add the garlic and cook for a further minute.
Add the mushrooms to the pan along with the remaining butter. Cook for a couple of minutes - toss the contents in the pan if you can.
Add the cream, herbs and seasoning. Taste and add a splash of madeira if you fancy. Continue to cook until the mushrooms are done and check the seasoning.
Serve on a slice of sourdough, toasted on a chargrill or pan-fried in butter or bacon fat. Dress with a few watercress leaves and serve.