Gently Spiced Mushrooms on Toast
It’s hard to express how much I like mushrooms on toast. I’m talking about masses of sautéed garlic, lots of extra virgin olive oil, a good dose of butter and plenty of time for those mushrooms to fry. Even accounting for lots and lots of time in the pan, this supper dish can be made in about 20 minutes, making it one of my favourite, fast turnaround suppers.
Ingredients
40g butter
3-4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, for cooking
6 fat garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 chile de árbol, torn into tiny pieces
1kg Portobello and chestnut mushrooms, finely sliced
100ml single cream
a large handful of parsley, roughly chopped
4 thick slices of sourdough bread
a really good extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Recipe
Heat a large frying pan over a high heat and when hot add the butter and oil. Throw in the garlic and chilli and stir with a wooden spoon for a minute or two until the garlic is just turning a pale golden. It is very important not to burn the garlic so watch that it doesn’t turn a dark brown; the moment it is golden throw in the mushrooms.
Turn the heat down to medium and cook the mushrooms, stirring from time to time, for about 15 minutes, seasoning them generously with salt and pepper. They will first turn golden in the hot fat and then they will start to release all their water. By the end of cooking the water will have evaporated leaving richly flavoured, soft mushrooms that are not remotely watery (a curse for good mushroom flavour). Add the cream and parsley, cook for another few minutes so that the cream has bubbled down and enveloped the mushrooms.
Toast the bread, rubbing the slices with the remaining clove of garlic and drizzling with your best extra virgin olive oil. Top with the mushrooms, season with one final slick of oil and serve.
Tip
I always have a bottle of non-supermarket label, new season, deep green olive oil in my cupboard for a dish like this; it has the potential to transform an ordinary dinner into something bloody brilliant!
IMAGE CREDIT: Tara Fisher