Brown Chestnut mushrooms are a slightly different variety from button mushrooms, they are darker in colour and stronger in taste. They can be served raw in a green salad or with a light grain dish such as quinoa, millet or cous cous, or cooked mixed in pasta dishes, risottos or casseroles.
To prepare them washed them carefully and dry them with a paper cloth before using them. Slice them thinly, rough or use them whole.
Use this week’s mixed salad bag or lettuce gems, from our farm, to make a lovely fresh side dish to eat with your mushroom frittata. Or even, sauté your purple sprouting broccoli with onions, a bit of olive oil and wild garlic.
Ingredients
- low-calorie cooking spray
- 250g/9oz chestnut mushrooms, sliced
- 1 small garlic clove, crushed
- 1 tbsp thinly sliced fresh chives
- 4 large free-range eggs, beaten
- sea salt and ground black pepper
For the salad
- 1 Little Gem lettuce, leaves separated
- 100g/3½oz cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/3 cucumber, cut into chunks
Preparation method
- Spray a small, flame-proof frying pan with oil and place over a high heat. (The base of the pan shouldn’t be wider than about 18cm/7in.) Stir-fry the mushrooms in three batches for 2-3 minutes, or until softened and lightly browned. Tip the cooked mushrooms into a sieve over a bowl to catch any juices – you don’t want the mushrooms to become soggy.
- Return all the mushrooms to the pan and stir in the garlic and chives, a pinch of salt and plenty of ground black pepper. Cook for a further minute, then reduce the heat to low.
- Preheat the grill to its hottest setting. Pour the eggs over the mushrooms. Cook for five minutes, or until almost set.
- Place the pan under the grill for 3-4 minutes, or until set.
- Combine the salad ingredients in a bowl.
- Remove from the grill and loosen the sides of the frittata with a round-bladed knife.Turn out onto a board and cut into wedges. Serve hot or cold with the salad.
Recipe and picture from BBC Good Food