Wednesday 26 May 2010

mushrooms in a red wine jus

I'm convinced that a potato and cauliflower mash could be totally, wonderfully light and fluffy and delicious, so I keep designing meals around mash that aren't (mock)meat + veg - despite being of a somewhat Anglo-English background, Danni doesn't like these sorts of meals, though I find them a fun novelty! I never got those sorts of meals as a kid!

Anyway, so this means I have to rack my brains for a meal that goes well with mash, and then I try it, and every time, the mash is nothing exciting. Maybe it's my proportions, maybe it's how I'm cooking it (I'd love to try roasting the potato and cauliflower first one time), but I keep trying, and I'll get there eventually.

This time, I served the (unexciting) potato and cauliflower mash with mushrooms in a red wine jus. It was simple and delicious and very exciting!

mushrooms in red wine on potato and cauliflower mash

mushrooms in a red wine jus

this takes a while to simmer down, but is easy to prepare.

ingredients
200ish grams of fresh mushrooms (sliced)
2 tablespoons Nuttelex (or vegan butter)
1 clove garlic (minced)
third of a cup of red wine
a tablespoon of dried basil
fresh parsley and oregano
a tablespoon of lemon juice

method
Melt the Nuttelex in a fry pan on high, then add the garlic and the dried oregano. Fry for a minute or two, then add the sliced mushrooms. Saute until the mushrooms begin to soften and release their own juices (this is why I have allowed myself to call this a jus...), then add the red wine. Leave to simmer for about ten to fifteen minutes, or until the red wine has drastically reduced. Then add the parsley, oregano and lemon juice, and simmer for another five minutes.

Serve on top of something that will soak in that liquid.

3 comments:

Hannah said...

Oooh, this reminds me of a balsamic and thyme mushroom dish I served on polenta once. I definitely like the sound of this red wine version, as well as the hypothetically-delicious cauliflower mash which I'm positive will soon become actually delicious :D

Flinders Lane said...

I cook really delicious cauliflower and potato mash by:

1) Making regular mashed potato., with plenty of salt.
2) Sauteing leeks until gently golden and soft -- no brown.
2) Sweating the cauliflower off with the leeks, then covering with a light stock and simmering until tender.
3) Pureeing the cauliflower-leek mixture, and beating it through the mashed potato.

It makes a really light, airy, tasty, rich mash that can stand around for hours without going claggy.

steph said...

Thanks for the positive thoughts, Hannah! And thanks for the recipe/advice, Flinders Lane, it is something for me to try!