Australian Mushrooms has teamed up with some of the country’s hottest chefs to create a series of mushroom-based recipes to be released over the month of November.
Among them are Darren Robertson (Three Blue Ducks and Rocker), Julian Cincotta (Butter), Reynold Poernomo (MasterChef, KOI Dessert Bar), Shannon Martinez (Smith & Daughters, Smith & Deli), and Jake Smyth and Kenny Graham (Mary’s Group) are set to disrupt breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert dishes using mushrooms as you’ve never seen them before.
They’ll also hosting live virtual cooking demonstrations – find them, and more recipes at australianmushrooms.com.au
MUSHROOMS, OOMITE AND BURNT BUTTER MOTHER CRUMPET
Mushroom mix
4 portabello mushroom (sliced)
8 Swiss brown mushrooms (sliced)
2 small clove garlic (peeled and sliced)
2 sprig thyme
1 glug light olive oil
Burnt Oomite butter
2 tsp Oomite
2 tbsp warm water
3 tbsp butter
Squeeze of lemon
Salad
2 handful picked mint, parsley, chervil
A little shaved pear and pecorino
Squeeze lemon plus a little zest
1 small golden shallot (peeled and sliced into rounds)
To serve
Salt and pepper
1 mother crumpet (see recipe below) or sourdough bread
Method
For the salad, mix the herbs, pear, and grated pecorino in a little bowl. Season with salt pepper, olive oil and a little lemon juice just before serving.
Cook the garlic in the olive oil until light golden in colour, then remove from pan and set aside.
In the same pan, sauté the sliced mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and remove once they turn golden colour.
Mix the Oomite into the warm water. Add the butter and thyme to the pan, cook to a nutty brown then add the Oomite and lemon juice.
Spoon the mushrooms on top of your Mother crumpet or a slice of toasted sourdough.
Spoon over the Oomite burnt butter.
Top with the shave pear, pecorino, herb salad.
Mother Crumpet
Ingredients
175g sourdough starter (around 70% hydration)
200g bread flour
200ml milk
100ml filtered water
Pinch of salt
Pinch of sugar
Splash of apple cider vinegar
Half tsp bicarb
Method
Warm the milk and water till tepid. Pour over the sourdough starter, mix in with hand, add flour, mix till flour is incorporated. Cover with a cloth and leave on the bench till morning. 6 – 8 hours does the trick, any longer keep in the fridge.
In the morning … Fold in salt, sugar, bicarb and vinegar, leave for 15 mins.
Melt some ghee in a large fry pan on medium heat, and put in mother crumpet dough.
Cook mostly on one side, for about 5-8 minutes. Finish on the other for a minute or two
SERVES4-6.
MUSHROOM XO MUSSELS AND GREENS
Ingredients
1kg mussels (washed)
100g Mixed sliced mushrooms (such as button, cup, and Swiss brown)
Charred greens
1 hand full of greens; shallots, rainbow chard and kale work well
1 tbsp olive oil salt and pepper
Mushroom XO butter
1 clove garlic
1 shallot
1 knob ginger
1 tbsp dried shrimp
1 large red chilli
100g Mixed chopped mushrooms (such as button, cup, and Swiss brown)
120g butter
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp honey
1 tbsp soy
To serve
2 limes
Handful coriander
Method
1. Finely chop the garlic, shallot, ginger, dried shrimp, mushrooms and the chilli. Save half of the chilli for garnish.
2. Heat butter and sesame oil in a pan and then add in chopped mushroom mix. Stir fry for a couple of minutes.
3. Combine the garlic, shallot, and ginger and continue cooking till lightly golden.
4. Add honey, soy, and lime juice to butter. This can be made in advance stored in a jar in the fridge until needed.
5. Season the greens with a little of the butter and char grill then set aside.
6. In a big pot, heat a little light olive oil, add the sliced mushroom and mussels, and a generous amount of XO butter. Give it a little stir, and once simmering on medium-high heat, pop a lid on. Once the mussels have opened (can take up to 5-8 minutes to steam), fold through the greens, season with fresh chilli, lime juice and coriander. Serve immediately.
SERVES4.
MUSHROOM STICKY DATE PUDDING WITH VANILLA ICE CREAM
175g Portabella mushrooms roughly chopped
100g Unsalted butter
120g Dark brown sugar
200g Meijdool dates pitted
240g Boiling water
1 tsp Bicarb soda
2 Eggs
145g Self-raising flour
Pinch of salt
Method:
Preheat the oven to 160C.
Place dates in a pot with bicarb and boiling water, cook over low heat until dates are softened.
Meanwhile melt butter in a pan then add mushrooms and cook for 8-10 minutes until mushrooms are softened. Then place the mushrooms (with all the excess butter) and dates together in a blender and blend until smooth. Then add in the dark brown sugar followed by the flour and lastly eggs.
Blend until a batter is formed then pour into a 10cm cake ring lined with baking paper or lightly sprayed with oil.
Pour 250g of mix into each cake ring and bake for 30 minutes in the oven.
Butterscotch Caramel
Ingredients
125g Unsalted butter
100g Dark brown sugar
125g Thickened cream
Salt
Method:
Place the butter and sugar in a pot and stir gently over medium heat until sugars begin to liquefy.
Whisk in thickened cream and bringing to a boil then simmer for 3-5 minutes while stirring.
Once thick enough to coat a spoon, season with salt and set aside.
Vanilla Ice Cream
Ingredients
3 Egg yolks
80g Sugar
300g Milk
150g Thickened cream
10g Glucose
1 Vanilla
Method
Place milk, cream, glucose and vanilla together in a pot and bring to a simmer. Meanwhile whisk egg yolks and sugar until fluffy.
Whisk in hot milk to the egg yolks and then return to the heat and bring to a temperature of 85C.
Strain the mixture and allow to cool down completely before churning.
To Serve
Remove mushroom date pudding from the cake ring while it’s still warm and cut in half for one portion.
Transfer onto a plate and scoop vanilla ice cream on top then finish with pouring warm butterscotch caramel over the dish.
Serve immediately.
Any offcuts of the mushroom can be used to dry and blended into a powder to dust on top of the dish.
SERVES6-8.
REYNOLD POERNOMO’S TOP TIPS
Fave mushies?
Swiss browns – their versatility and depth of flavour is what I love about them because it can go in either savoury dishes or desserts. It may sound odd to add it in desserts but the umami and natural sweetness to them really complements rich and earthy flavours like coffee, chocolate and caramel.
How to buy mushrooms?
Find mushrooms that are slightly shiny, smooth and even colouring. They should be firm to touch as well, the best part about Aussie mushies is that they’re available all year round.
How to store
Somewhere cool and with not too much moisture (the brown paper bag is good). A way to keep them for longer is to dehydrate them, especially when it comes to offcuts of the mushrooms or if you’re not using the stalks. Dried mushrooms can be used to flavour stews, sauces and stocks.
How to cook
Most mushrooms contain a lot of water and that’s why it’s best not to wash your mushrooms. A touch of butter or oil into a cold pan over low heat will pull out all that water in the mushrooms and concentrate it, making it so full of flavour.
When cooking in stews or soups, it’s best to get a hot pan and a bit of fat, toss them with some salt until they get slightly caramelised as they can shrink to nothingness if cooked for too long and lose their texture.
CAVATELLI WITH BRAISED MUSHROOMS, BEANS & RADICCHIO
• 1 medium brown onion, diced
• 300g button mushrooms, thickly sliced
• ½ small fennel bulb, thinly sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ head of radicchio, cut into large chunks
• 1 sprig of rosemary
• 1 bay leaf
• ½ cup white wine
• 1 can cannellini beans, drained
• 500ml vegan chicken or veg stock
• 2 tbsp vegan butter
• Handful grated vegan parmesan
• ½ packet cavatelli, cooked
• Handful of parsley
• Salt and pepper to season
Method
1. Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat.
2. Add the diced onions along with a big pinch of salt and cook for a few minutes or until they begin to soften.
3. Throw in the sliced mushrooms and cook until they start to turn golden.
4. Add the fennel to the pan and cook for a few minutes before adding the garlic. Cook for a further minute. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Scatter the chopped radicchio intothe pan and stir well to separate and coat then add the rosemary and bay leaf.
6. Pour in the white wine and reduce by half, then add in the drained beans. Stir to combine, then add the stock. Simmer over a medium, low heat until the liquid has reduced by half.
7. To finish the sauce, add the butter and parmesan and stir until melted and combined. Sprinkle over the parsley and stir through.
8. Add the cooked pasta into the pan over a low heat and toss well to coat. Check seasoning.
9. Serve with extra parmesan and a splash of extra virgin olive oil.
