Mediterranean fregola & mushrooms

For ➋

200 g fregola sarda

300 g bite size chopped cremini, baby bella or fresh porcini mushrooms or a mix

1 medium sized shallot

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

5 cl olive oil

5 cl balsamic vinegar

1 tbs  marjoram (of thyme or oregano.)

2 tbs unsalted cold butter (or plant-based)

To cook  the fregola, the trick is to have enough water for the fregola to boil freely to avoid sticking, so salt and bring 0,5 - 0,75 cl of water to a gentle boil.

Cook Fregola as you would pasta for about 13-15 m and taste for firmness. You want it to be al dente.

Scoop a cup of water and set aside to water down the mushroom sauce.

Strain and keep fregola warm in the pan off the fire.


Clean mushrooms with a damp paper towel. Washing them under water can make them turn slimey.

Heat a large skillet or frying pan on a low flame. Cut the mushrooms to small bite size pieces without or without the stems.  If you do decide on using the stems, cut off the bottom third. It is usually drier and more fibrous than the rest of the stem.
 Finely chop the shallot.
Add olive oil, shallots and mushrooms to the pan and increase to medium heat and cook for 5-7 m stirring occasionally until the mushrooms are still crunchy but not raw.
 Add the chopped garlic and sauté for 1 m.

Add the balsamic vinegar, mix well and simmer the vinegar liquid until it is nearly gone. The idea here is cook off the tangyness of the vinegar until it is sweet. 
Stir in the half cup of the water from the boiling pasta, add half the marjoram and give a little stir.

On a very low fire finish off the mushrooms by quickly blending in cold butter 1 tbs at a time. You do this by using the tip of fork to gentle stir the butter through the mushrooms. You are not cooking but gently emulsifying the butter with the liquid.
 Salt to taste.


Add the cooked fregola, increase heat to medium and cook for a couple of minutes to allow the pasta to absorb the liquid and butter. If too dry add a little more pasta water.
 Garnish with rest of herbs and serve with freshly grated Parmigiano cheese.

Gnocchi cremosi di salsiccia e funghi (gnocchi with sausage & mushrooms)

For ➍

3 Italian sausages, casings removed* 

200 portobello mushrooms, coarsely chopped** 

2 shallots, minced 

2 tbs butter*** 

1 tbs oil 

2 cloves garlic, minced 

200 g potato gnocchi 

10 cl dry white wine (such as Pinot Grigio) 

1-2 tbs heavy cream**** 

½ ts Italian herbs, dried***** 

1 pinch red pepper flakes, or to taste 

salt & ground black pepper to taste 

Heat a heavy skillet over medium high heat and cook sausage until no longer pink, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon as it cooks, about 7 m. 

Continue to brown the meat and add mushrooms, shallots, butter, and oil. Cook until mushrooms and onions are soft and beginning to brown, about 5 m. 

Add garlic and cook for 1 to 2 m. 


Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook gnocchi in the boiling water until they float to the top, 2 to 4 m. Drain and set aside. 


Add white wine to the sausage mixture and simmer, uncovered, until wine has reduced by half, about 5 m. 

Add gnocchi, cream, Italian herbs, pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. 

Cook over medium-low heat until sauce has thickened, about 10 m. 

Serve without cheese.

*lemon & thyme pork sausages recommended 

**or use a creative mushroom blend, like porcini, shiitake, small button mushrooms 

***use 2 tbs olive oil instead 

****use lactose-free vegan cream instead 

*****use ½-1 tbs fresh herbs like oregano instead

Mushroom lasagne

For ➏

750 g chestnut mushrooms, halved 

500 g oyster mushrooms 

13 cl olive oil, plus extra for greasing 

60 g dried porcini 

30 g dried wild mushrooms 

2 dried red chillies, roughly chopped, (remove the seeds for a less spicy result) 

50 cl hot vegetable stock 

1 onion, peeled, quartered 

5 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped 

1 carrot, scraped, quartered, 90 g 

2-3 roma tomatoes, quartered, 200 g 

75 g tomato paste 

13 cl whipped cream* 

60 g pecorino romano, finely grated* 

60 g Parmigiano, finely grated* 

5 g basil leaves, finely chopped 

10 g parsley leaves, finely chopped, plus 1 ts extra for dressing 

250 g dried lasagne sheets (approx. 14 sheets)** 

salt & black pepper

Heat the oven to 230 °C. 

Place the chestnut and oyster mushrooms in three or four batches in the large bowl of a food processor and chop finely using the pulse button (or chop by hand). In a large mixing bowl, toss the chopped mushrooms with 3 tbs oil and 1 ts salt and spread on a large, parchment-lined baking tray with a raised edge measuring 40 x 35 cm. Bake them in the top of the oven for 30 m, turning them three times in between until the mushrooms are golden brown; the volume will have shrunk considerably. Set them aside. Lower the oven temperature to 200 °C.

Meanwhile, in another mixing bowl, mix the dried mushrooms with chilies and hot stock and soak for 30 m. Strain the liquid into a third bowl and press as much moisture as possible out of the mushrooms, you will need about 34 cl in total; top up the soaking water with fresh water if necessary. Chop the soaked mushrooms very coarsely (so that there are also large pieces) and chop the chilies. Set aside the stock and mushrooms separately. 

Chop the onion, garlic and carrot in the food processor with the pulse button (or by hand). Heat 6 cl oil in a large sauté pan over medium to high heat. When hot, add the onion mixture and cook for 8 m, stirring occasionally, until cooked through and golden brown. 

Chop the tomatoes in the food processor with the pulse button (or chop them by hand), add them with the tomato paste, 1½  ts salt and 1¾ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper. Let everything simmer for 7 m, stirring occasionally. Add the soaked mushrooms, chilies and toasted mushrooms and let everything cook gently for 9 m, resist the urge to stir: the mushrooms should be slightly crispy and brown on the underside. 

Stir in the reserved stock and 80 cl water, turn the heat to medium-high when everything is simmering gently and let the sauce simmer for about 25 m, stirring occasionally until it has the consistency of ragout. Stir 10 cl of whipped cream into the sauce and let it simmer for 2 m more then take the pan off the heat. 

Mix the pecorino and Parmigino with basil and parsley in a small bowl. When assembling the lasagna, spread one-fifth of the sauce over the bottom of a round baking dish of 28 cm in diameter (or a rectangular dish of 30 x 20 cm), spread one-fifth of the cheese mixture on top, followed by a layer of lasagne sheets, broken where necessary to make them fit. Repeat these layers three times in the same order, finishing with a layer of sauce and cheese: a total of five layers of sauce and cheese, and four layers of pasta. 

Drizzle the top with 1 tbs of cream and 1 tbs of oil, cover the dish with aluminum foil and put it in the oven for 15 m. Remove the foil, increase the oven temperature to 220 ° C and bake the lasagna for another 12 m, turning the dish halfway through the baking time. Switch the oven to the grill setting and grill the lasagna for 2 m until the edge is brown and crispy. 

Put the bowl aside, let the lasagna cool for about 5 m, then drizzle the top with the remaining whipped cream and oil. Sprinkle with the remaining parsley, finally grind a generous twist of pepper and serve. 

*Discard for vegan version.

**Make it ahead of time and refrigerate it to serve it with pasta or polenta and save yourself the trouble of putting together a lasagna if you don't have much time. You can prepare the lasagna in advance, put it in the refrigerator and bake it the next day (after it has reached room temperature). 

This special ragout pays tribute to the penne all'Aconese,  served at Restaurante Pizzeria Acone, a community-run restaurant in the Tuscan town of Acone. The recipe is a carefully kept secret, but the complex, earthy and full umami flavor of dried porcini is not to be missed. This is Ottolenghi's meatless take on that mythical sauce.

Grilled mushroom risotto

For ➍
1.5 l organic chicken or vegetable stock, hot
1 handful dried porcini mushrooms*
olive oil
1 small onion, peeled & finely chopped
2 sticks celery**, trimmed & finely chopped
400 g risotto rice
7.5 cl vermouth or white wine***
sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
4 large handfuls wild mushrooms (try shiitake, girolle, chestnut or oyster), cleaned & sliced
a few sprigs fresh chervil, tarragon or parsley, leaves picked & chopped
juice of 1 lemon
1 ts butter
1 small handful Parmigiano cheese, freshly grated, plus extra for serving
extra virgin olive oil

Heat the stock in a saucepan and keep it on a low simmer. Place the porcini mushrooms in a bowl and pour in just enough hot stock to cover. Leave for a couple of m until they've softened. Fish them out of the stock and chop them, reserving the soaking liquid.
In a large pan, heat a lug of olive oil and add the onion and celery. Slowly fry without colouring them for at least 10 m, then turn the heat up and add the rice. Give it a stir.
Stir in the vermouth or wine. Keep stirring until the liquid has cooked into the rice. Now pour the porcini soaking liquid through a sieve into the pan and add the chopped porcini, a good pinch of salt and your first ladle of hot stock. Turn the heat down to a simmer and keep adding ladlefuls of stock, stirring and massaging the starch out of the rice, allowing each ladleful to be absorbed before adding the next.
Carry on adding stock until the rice is soft but with a slight bite. This will take about 30 m. Meanwhile, get a dry griddle pan hot and grill the wild mushrooms until soft. If your pan isn't big enough, do this in batches. Put them into a bowl and add the chopped herbs, a pinch of salt and the lemon juice. Using your hands, get stuck in and toss everything together.
Take the risotto off the heat and check the seasoning carefully. Stir in the butter and the Parmigiano. You want it to be creamy and oozy in texture, so add a bit more stock if you think it needs it. Put a lid on and leave the risotto to relax for about 3 m.
Take your risotto and add a little more seasoning or Parmigiano if you like. Serve a good dollop of risotto topped with some grilled dressed mushrooms, a sprinkling of freshly grated Parmigiano and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

*Omit if you want.
*Use leek instead for a suaver taste.
**Double for softer rice.

The dry grilling of mushrooms is inspired by a Japanese way of cooking.
Read the tip on making a quick risotto.

Risotto con coniglio (rabbit risotto)

For ➍
4 rabbit thighs, boned & cut into small pieces*
20 g butter
1 tbs rosemary
200 g fresh porcini mushrooms, cleaned & torn
3 tbs olive oil
60 g onion, peeled & finely chopped
350 g Arborio rice
1 dl dry white wine
1 l warm chicken or vegetable stock
salt & pepper
40 g Parmigiano cheese, freshly grated**
10 g butter**

Melt a knob of butter and sauté the rabbit pieces with the rosemary very gently for 3 m. Season. Set aside. 

Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan, add the onions and sweat gently for 2 m with a pinch of salt to help release the juices, then add the fresh mushrooms. Cook for 3 m. 

Add the rice and stir with a spoon. Increase the heat slightly and continue stirring until the rice turns opaque.

Pour in the wine, stir once only, and then leave to cook until two-thirds of the liquid has evaporated. Add two thirds of the hot chicken stock and a little salt. Stir every 3 m to encourage the starch to leave the rice and cook gently for about 12-15 m, adding a little more hot stock as necessary. 

Stir in the rabbit pieces. 

Add (some of) the rest of the stock and cook for another 3 m. 

Just before serving, stir in the cheese and butter.** 

Serve with a dry spicy white wine like viognier.

*Replace with 300 g boneles rabbit meat, cut into 4x4 cm chunks. Or use 400 g chicken meat, cubed< **Optional. Half quantities as entrée.

Read the tip on making a quick risotto.

Sea bass with porcini & cauliflower

For ➍
4 sea bass fillets with skin, each 200 g (or redfish or cod)
125 g dried porcini mushrooms
1 small cauliflower (or broccoli)
butter
olive oil
salt & pepper
1 slice smoked ham
1 chopped shallot
1 finely crushed clove of garlic
½ glass of dry white wine
2.5 dl fish stock
1.25 dl cream
thyme, bay

Soak the porcini mushrooms in water and let it drain thoroughly. Sauté the mushrooms in olive oil with the chopped shallot , garlic and chopped ham.
Deglaze with the white wine. Add the fish stock , thyme , bay leaves and cream. Reduce to half . Remove from the pan and keep warm.
Grind the cooked sauce in a blender. Press them through a fine sieve.*
Divide the cauliflower into florets. Boil briefly in water and cook them further in some butter. Season with salt and pepper.
Steam (or poach ) the sea bass fillets with the skin side down. Count about 10 m.**
Divide the porcini on 4 warm plates. Place the fish on top. Arrange the cauliflower florets around and spoon the sauce over the fish. Garnish with parsley, some dried rose berries and a cooked crayfish.

*Or serve the mushrooms without grinding.
**Or cook in the microwave: 1 m/100 g.

Lapin aux cèpes (Limousin rabit stew)

For ➍
1 tbs duck fat
8 shallots, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
leg & saddle of 1 large rabbit (not separated)
¾ ts salt
¼ ts ground black pepper
5 cl dry white wine
4 plum tomatoes (blanched, skinned & halved lengthwise)
¼ ts dried thyme
275 g porcini mushrooms (ceps), cleaned

In a large skillet over medium heat, sauté the shallots and garlic until they turn tender and start to caramelize, about 5 to 7 m. Transfer the shallots and garlic to a bowl and set aside.
Season the rabbit with the salt and pepper; add it to the pan and cook over medium-high heat for 4 to 5 m on each side, to brown it thoroughly. Deglaze the pan with the white wine and tomatoes.
Return the caramelized shallots and garlic to the pan, along with the thyme and mushrooms. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and allow the rabbit to simmer for 40 m, until it is cooked through..
Serve a portion of rabbit with roasted potatoes, a green salad and  a glass of dry white wine.

Pork chops & wild mushrooms

For ➏
6 large pork loin chops, 225 g each
10 g dried porcini mushrooms
20 cl crème fraîche
50 g butter
1 ts chopped fresh thyme, plus 6 sprigs, to garnish
350 g dark-gilled, open-cap mushrooms
juice 1 large lemon
1½ tbs plain flour
salt & freshly milled black pepper

Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Place the porcini mushrooms in a bowl, pour on enough boiling water just to cover them, then leave them to soak for 20 m. Then place a sheet of foil (large enough to wrap the chops in) in the roasting oven tin.
In a large frying pan, melt the butter and fry the chops to a golden colour on both sides. Transfer them on to the foil, season with salt and freshly milled black pepper and sprinkle on the thyme.
Chop the open-cap mushrooms roughly and fry them in the same pan you browned the meat in, adding a little more butter if needed. When the juices start to run, drain the porcini, squeeze out any excess moisture, then chop them small and add them to the fresh mushrooms along with the lemon juice. Let the lemon juice bubble for about 1 m, sprinkle in the flour and stir with a wooden spoon.
Spoon the mixture over the pork chops, then, finally, top each one with a large blob of crème fraîche. Place a sprig of thyme on each, then wrap up loosely in the foil, sealing securely, but leaving some space between the chops and the foil. Then bake in the oven for 1 h exactly.
Serve the chops with all the juices poured over and garnish with the sprigs of thyme. Add some baked potatoes.

Risotto ai funghi (mushroom risotto)

For ➍
350 g porcini mushrooms*
320 g Arborio rice
1 l chicken or vegetable stock
1 glass dry white wine
1 small onion
1 clove garlic
extra virgin olive oil
butter
salt & pepper
Parmigiano cheese, freshly grated**
green salad**

Wipe the mushrooms with a damp cloth. Cut away the bottom of the stork.

Slice the mushrooms not too thinly. Finely slice the onion and the garlic.

Have the stock ready at boiling temperature. In a saucepan, heat 2 tbs of oil together with a knob of butter.

Add the onion and garlic and cook gently on low heat.

Add the mushrooms and cook them for a couple of minutes.

Add the rice and stir until it’s all well mixed then pour in the wine and let it evaporate quickly. Finally add the boiling stock one ladle per time. Stir the rice often and let it absorb the stock before adding the next ladle, keeping it at a gentle boil. Season and cook for about 18 m.

Turn the heat off, add another knob of butter and freshly grated pepper, cover and leave it to rest for 5 m.

Serve it hot with freshly grated Parmigiano cheese.** Add some green salad.**

*Use dried mushrooms, or a mix of fresh mushrooms and dried porcini. Use shiitake instead.
** Optional.

See risotto tip.

Orange chicken & artichokes risotto

For ➍
1 tbs olive oil
200 g Arborio rice
75 cl chicken stock
4 chicken breast halves, boneless & skinless
3 tbs butter
200 g sliced fresh mushrooms, orange cepes/porcini preferred
10 cl/3 tbs orange juice
1 tbs capers
100 g artichoke hearts
salt & pepper
3 tbs Parmigiano, grated

Heat olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add rice and stir 1 m. Add chicken stock. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 20 m, stirring frequently.

Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces. In a large frying pan over medium heat, melt butter. Add chicken and mushrooms. Sauté until chicken is fully cooked and tender (5-10 m). Remove chicken and mushrooms to a plate. Set aside.

Increase heat to high. Add orange juice to frying pan. Simmer until liquid is reduced to approximately 10 cl/ 3 tbs. Add capers and simmer 1 to 2 m.

Cut artichokes into chunks.

Add artichokes hearts, chicken and mushroom mixture, salt and pepper to the juice. Stir and simmer until thoroughly heated.

Remove from heat and pour over cooked rice. Stir and blend.

Sprinkle with Parmigiano. Serve immediately.

Read risotto tip.

Sugo bianco (Tuscan white sauce)

For ➍/ 75 cl*
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 sweet Italian sausages**
2 large fresh porcini mushrooms, brushed & chopped
1 medium zucchini, grated
4 fresh sage leaves, coarsely chopped
3 tbs fresh cream or mascarpone
salt & freshly ground black pepper

Heat a saucepan. Heat olive oil. Make the onion soft.
Strip the skins away from the sausages and crumble the sausage meat with a fork or your fingers.
Add the sausage meat to the onions and continue cooking very gently, stirring occasionally, until the meat has browned.
Add the grated zucchini to the pan, also add the sage. Stir well, and cook on medium heat until the zucchini bits are softened. Stir in the chopped mushrooms. Add a few tbs of water. Raise the heat to medium and cook rapidly until most of the liquid has evaporated or been absorbed.
Take the sauce off the heat, and stir in the cream. Return briefly to the heat.
Season to taste.
Serve immediately over gnocchi, fusilli, or other short, curly pasta. Mix the pasta and sauce for 1 m, so the sauce really clings to the pasta, not that the pasta swims around in sauce.

*Leftovers can be frozen for a short period.
**Or any good fresh thick sausage with rather coarse meat. It can also be made with strips of wild boar or pork.

This white sauce, sometimes called ragu' bianco, has no tomatoes, and can be served with a variety of pasta.