FREE-FORM MUSHROOM & CHEESE TART
Prep + Cook Time 35 Minutes Serves 4
● 60g butter
● 2 tablespoons olive oil
● 400g chestnut mushrooms, sliced thinly
● 400g button mushrooms, sliced thinly
● 2 shallots (50g), chopped finely
● 200g chive soft cheese
● 2 eggs
● 40g finely grated parmesan
● 500g block frozen puff pastry, thawed
● 10g coarsely chopped fresh flat−leaf parsley
● 1 egg, extra, beaten lightly
● 100g fresh ricotta, crumbled coarsely (see cook’s notes)
● 12 small fresh thyme sprigs
● 120g smooth packaged ricotta (see cook’s notes)
● 5g fresh flat−leaf parsley sprigs
METHOD
➤ Preheat oven to 220°C/200°C fan. Line a large oven tray with baking paper.
➤ Heat half the butter and half the oil in a large heavy−based frying pan over high heat. Add half the mushrooms and half the shallots; season. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 minutes or until mushrooms are golden. Transfer to a medium bowl. Repeat with remaining butter, oil, mushrooms and shallots.
➤ Meanwhile, process soft cheese, eggs and parmesan until smooth.
➤ Roll out pastry on a clean work surface lined with baking paper to a rough 25cm round and place onto oven tray. Spread soft cheese mixture, into a 21cm round, leaving a 4cm border; top with mushroom mixture and chopped parsley. Brush the border with a little of the extra egg. Fold in pastry corners, then remaining sides to partially cover the filling and create a rim. Brush pastry rim with a little more egg. Sprinkle crumbled ricotta and thyme over filling.
➤ Bake for 15 minutes or until pastry is puffed and golden. Serve tart topped with spoonfuls of ricotta and parsley sprigs.
Notes: You will need to buy two types of ricotta for this recipe: use fresh, dry ricotta, cut from a wheel at the deli counter to crumble over the tart before cooking, and the smooth variety sold in tubs to spoon on the tart just before serving. If you can’t source fresh ricotta, use feta instead.
You can use a garlic and herb flavoured soft cheese instead of the chive flavour, if you prefer.
For the best flavour, ensure mushrooms are browned well. Use a heavy–based frying pan and avoid moving the mushrooms around too much while they’re cooking – allow them to catch and brown before stirring. If you don’t have a heavy-based pan, heat the pan first before adding the oil and butter.
POTATO GNOCCHI WITH MUSHROOMS & THYME
Prep + Cook Time 1 Hour (+ Refrigeration) Serves 4
Try using a variety of mushrooms such as flat, closed cup, button, portobello, oyster and enoki, keeping small mushrooms whole or halved and large types sliced. Cooking the potatoes whole with the peel on keeps them dry and fluffy - doing this helps to create lightly textured pillows of gnocchi.
● 2 tablespoons olive oil
● 375g assorted mushrooms, sliced (see note above)
● 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh lemon thyme
● 2 cloves garlic, crushed
● 300ml single cream
● 25g finely grated parmesan
● 2 teaspoons fresh lemon thyme sprigs, extra
Potato gnocchi:
● 500g desirée potatoes, unpeeled
● 1 egg, beaten lightly
● 15g butter, melted
● 2 tablespoons finely grated parmesan
● 150g plain flour, approximately
METHOD
➤ Heat oil in a large frying pan over high heat; cook mushrooms and thyme, allowing the mushrooms to brown well before turning occasionally, for 5 minutes or until golden. Add garlic; stir for 30 seconds or until softened. Add cream; bring to the boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes or until sauce thickens. Stir in half the parmesan. Season to taste.
➤ Meanwhile, cook gnocchi, in batches, in a large saucepan of boiling water until gnocchi float to the surface and are cooked through. Remove from pan with a slotted spoon to a bowl; cover to keep warm.
➤ Once all gnocchi are cooked, add to mushroom sauce; stir gently. Serve topped with remaining parmesan and extra thyme sprigs.
Potato gnocchi:
Boil whole potatoes until tender; drain. When cool enough to handle, peel away skins. Mash potatoes, using a ricer or potato masher, in a medium bowl; stir in egg, butter, parmesan and enough flour to make a firm dough. Divide dough into four portions; roll each portion on a floured surface into 2cm-thick ropes. Cut each rope into 2cm pieces. Place gnocchi, in a single layer, on a lightly floured tray; cover, refrigerate 1 hour.
MUSHROOM ORECCHIETTE WITH GREMOLATA CRUMBS
Prep + Cook Time 50 Minute Serves 4
● 30g butter
● 1 tablespoon olive oil
● 1 medium brown onion (150g), chopped finely
● 2 cloves garlic, crushed
● 125ml white wine
● 200g chestnut mushrooms, sliced
● 300ml single cream
● 200g sliced pancetta
● 500g orecchiette pasta
Gremolata crumbs:
● 30g butter
● 1 ciabatta roll (100g), torn coarsely
● 2 cloves garlic, crushed
● 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
● 1 lemon, rind cut into thin strips
METHOD
➤ Heat butter and oil in a medium frying pan; cook onion and garlic, stirring, for 5 minutes or until onion is soft. Add wine to pan; boil, uncovered, for 2 minutes or until reduced by half. Stir in mushroom; cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat, for 5 minutes or until softened. Add cream, stir over medium heat for 2 minutes or until thickened slightly. Season to taste; cover to keep warm.
➤ Meanwhile, preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan. Place pancetta, in a single layer, on an oven tray lined with baking paper. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden and crisp.
➤ Make gremolata crumbs.
➤ Cook pasta in a large saucepan of boiling salted water for 10 minutes or until just tender. Drain, reserving 60ml of cooking liquid. Return pasta to pan.
➤ Add hot mushroom sauce to pasta; toss gently to combine. If mixture is a little thick, add some of the reserved pasta liquid. Serve pasta topped with crumbled pancetta, and gremolata crumbs.
Gremolata crumbs:
➤ Heat butter in a small pan over medium heat; add torn bread and garlic. Cook, stirring, 2 minutes or until bread is golden brown. Remove from heat; top with parsley and rind.
Notes: You can use button mushrooms, instead of chestnut, for a milder flavour. Serve orecchiette with a green salad.
WILD RICE, CHICKEN & MUSHROOM SALAD
Prep + Cook Time 50 Minuts Serves 4
● 150g wild rice
● 1 medium orange (240g)
● 2 teaspoons honey
● 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
● 1 clove garlic, crushed
● 2 tablespoons olive oil
● 2 chicken breast fillets (skin on) (500g)
● 400g portobello mushrooms
● 350g watercress, leaves picked
● 1 medium red onion (170g), sliced thinly
Fig dressing:
● 3 dried figs (50g), sliced thinly
● 125ml freshly squeezed orange juice
● 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
METHOD
➤ Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan.
➤ Place rice in a medium saucepan with enough cold water to cover; bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer for 30 minutes or until tender. Drain well; rinse under cold water.
➤ Meanwhile, finely grate rind from the orange into a small bowl. Cut the top and bottom from the orange; cut off the white pith, following the curve of the fruit. Cut down both sides of the white membrane to release each segment. Set aside.
➤ Combine grated rind, honey, thyme, garlic and half the oil in a large bowl; add chicken, toss to coat in marinade. Toss mushrooms in remaining oil; season. Arrange chicken mixture and mushrooms on an oven tray. Roast for 25 minutes or until just cooked through. Remove chicken; rest, covered, for 5 minutes. Slice thinly.
➤ Make fig dressing.
➤ Combine rice with half the dressing; top with chicken, mushrooms, watercress, onion and orange segments. Serve drizzled with remaining dressing.
Fig dressing:
Place figs and juice in a small saucepan; bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer, covered, for 5 minutes. Stir in vinegar; cool.
Notes: Wild rice is a long, dark brown grain that has a nutty texture and holds its shape well during cooking.
You can make this dish lower in fat by using skinless chicken breasts, and using three instead of two.
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