Cold-weather mushrooms in a tasty cold-weather supper. The rich flavour and meaty texture of blewits make them perfect to use in this dish, but you can use any firm, tasty mushrooms, as long as you remember to cook away any juices they exude. Serve with rice or buttered ribbon pasta, and a crisp green salad.
• 250g field or wood blewits
• 1 large onion
• 50g butter
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons brandy
• 200ml soured cream
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Handful of chopped parsley
1. Clean the blewits with a brush and damp kitchen paper, and trim the stems. Slice the mushrooms thickly and set aside.
2. Halve the onion from root to tip and peel it. Slice into thin half-moons. Set a wide frying pan over medium heat and melt the butter. When it is foaming, add the olive oil and onions. Cook for 5-10 minutes until golden brown, then lift the onions out of the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.
3. Add the garlic to the butter in the pan and cook for 30 seconds before adding the sliced blewits. Toss briefly to coat with the garlic butter, then leave them to fry, without stirring, for a few minutes to allow the mushrooms to brown a little. Then turn them and let them fry undisturbed on the other side. At some point, the blewits will yield their juices into the pan, but keep the heat high until the liquid is evaporated.
4. Add the half the fried onions and the brandy and bring to a boil. Take the pan off the heat now and stir in the soured cream, mustard and paprika. If necessary, warm the stroganoff very gently over a low heat, then remove from the heat again, taste for seasoning, and serve sprinkled with parsley and reserved fried onions.
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