Mushroom magic for a taste of autumn

Mushrooms are a fantastic standby ingredient to have. A packet of dried mushrooms in the back of the cupboard can mean risotto or soup for dinner. This mushroom stroganoff is another firm favourite. It’s like a luxurious version of mushrooms on toast but well worth the extra bit of effort.

It can be served over rice or orzo and is perfect on thick slices of buttered toast. Or fold through some fresh pasta. It’s also a fantastic side dish to chicken or steak. Any leftovers can be blitzed with a little stock to make the perfect soup. I use fresh mushrooms here but you could use half dried mushrooms and use the soaking liquor in place of the stock. I’ve used button and chestnut mushrooms here as an everyday dish but use more exotic mixed mushrooms to make it that bit special. I always add so much parsley to this dish, and it can take it. A few handfuls of baby spinach leaves are another lovely way of introducing some green goodness. If you have tarragon to hand it’s a delicious alternative to parsley.

When we were younger my eldest sister entered a cookery competition and beef stroganoff was her main course. She was only 15 at the time and she practised the entire menu countless times. She made scallops in black bean sauce for starters, beef stroganoff for main course and steamed summer fruit pudding for dessert. I will always associate those three mismatched dishes together. I remember we all travelled to Kildare for the final and there was great excitement as she got to cook her dishes in a professional kitchen. I rarely cook beef stroganoff since then though but do love this mushroom version.

Mushroom hunting is a fun thing to do this time of year and there are always some producers at farmers markets that will have sourced some wild mushrooms. They grow so well here in Ireland. If you are venturing out yourself to pick your own just make sure you can identify what you're looking at, have someone with you that is experienced at mushroom hunting or at the very least have a book with detailed imagery. Don't rely on the internet as it can be a mixed bag of information when you need specific details on mushrooms native to Ireland. Never even taste a mushroom unless you are 100 per cent certain it is edible. I'm relaxed when it comes to eating things but I never mess with mushrooms! You can even go on guided hunts around Ireland especially on large family-run estates, it's a great family day out.

Ingredients

1 onion, finely diced

400g mixed mushrooms, sliced thickly

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tbsp paprika

150ml stock

Handful parsley, finely chopped

50ml cream

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1/2 tsp salt

Black pepper

To serve: 1 loaf crusty white bread, sourdough or cooked rice

Method

Place a large frying pan on a medium heat. Add a little olive oil and sauté the onions until soft. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute. Transfer everything to a bowl and set aside. Wipe the pan clean with a piece of kitchen paper then add a tbsp of oil and place on a high heat. Cook the mushrooms until browning at the edges, return the onion to the pan. Add the paprika and stock. Everything will bubble nicely. Season with salt and pepper then remove from the heat and add the cream. Stir gently to combine.

Toast the bread in thick slices or cook the rice.

Just before serving add the lemon juice and chopped parsley. Spoon the stroganoff over hot buttered pieces of toast. Serve right away with a lemon wedge and some fresh black pepper.