Showcasing an utterly beautiful golden enoki mushroom. Together with chicken, red chilli and pak choi I made a stir fry and added fresh papaya slices at the end - the smooth, cooling fruit added a fresh honey-sweetness that complimented the chilli. The dish is lightening quick to make but the combination of textures and flavours makes it feel a lot more complex. This stir fry is crunchy, spicy, nutty (from the enoki) and sweet.
Mushrooms and garlic butter. A dash of cream. Sea salt. What was once a bland chunk of fungi now becomes a morsel to savour, delicious juices and lip smacking ensue.Wrap them up in parchment paper for a fun baked starter.
I was asked to be a part of the Afrikaans lifestyle programme Pasella and to showcase a cheese not often used. I chose Ricotta cheese and made these very simple ricotta cheese and double mushroom tartlets- using fresh and dried mushrooms, rehydrated for double the flavour in a crispy phyllo outer. I drizzled them lightly in a lovely white balsamic truffle glaze I brought back from Andorra last week.
Originating in East Asia and Northern Europe, delicate shimeji mushrooms on long stalks are excellent in a quick stir fry. And back in 2000 I was the stir fry queen. I even bought my vegetables in bulk and prepared them in 2 meal bags and froze them in readiness for the weeks ahead. On a bed of glass noodles, dressed in Asian flavours with spring onions, garlic sauteed shimeji mushrooms make a very quick and easy vegetarian meal.
A rich mushroom and Taleggio cheese puff pastry tart- simple to make, wonderful to eat.
