This is a dish that we came up with after we found a massive Hen of the Wood mushroom in Stockghyll woods just up the road from the restaurant, but at heart it’s just a posh version of garlic mushrooms!
Stockghyll, is my go-to walk when I’m short of time but need a quick break, the fact I can also go foraging at the same time is an added bonus. Think a chef’s version of meditation. Telling everyone where I go foraging is a bit of an unusual thing, as chefs and foragers tend to be incredibly secretive about their patches. However, telling people where to look and them being able to find them are two completely different things. I would advise anyone not to pick anything unless you are 100% certain you know what it is or can check with an experienced wild food expert.
You can use a variety of different mushrooms for this dish, Girolles and Ceps are other varieties of foraged mushrooms we use, but if you want to play it safe or they are out of season, use Oyster mushrooms, which also work really well and are available in supermarkets like Booths.
When it comes to the bread, this can make or break a dish as simple as this, fortunately in Cumbria we are spoilt for choice. We used Lovingly Artisan’s bread at Kysty, Aidan’s attention to detail and knowledge is second to none, by looking to the past Aiden has led the way in bread development.
I’m also a huge fan of Patrick Moore at More? Artisan, again one of the UK’s most innovative bakers and who’s sliced boxed sourdough is unbeatable when it comes to your daily breakfast toast. A cheese board in my house isn’t complete without one of his fig loaves and the focaccia is a meal on its own. Patrick maybe the original “hipster baker” but he is also a great chef and the food at the bakery café in Staveley is modern and super tasty, I’ve never had anything I haven’t loved in my many visits over the last ten years.
Lucia’s in Grasmere, Jim at Chester’s by the River, Bakehouse Born & Bread at Greenodd and Peace and Loaf Bakehouse in Barrow, are also producing amazing breads. To be honest if you make your own sourdough in Cumbria, I hope you find it therapeutic because there can be no other reason for doing it. I doff my cap to you as the process is time consuming, temperamental and a complete waste of time when you have some of the best bakers in the UK in the county.
Back to the recipe the garlic is an emulsion and the hazelnuts are simply roasted chopped and sprinkled over the top. This mushroom dish is pretty easy and as a result it can be served up for brunch, as a starter or even as a main evening meal.
Ingredients
Serves 4
Garlic Emulsion
250g peeled garlic
300ml double cream
Pinch of salt
Mushrooms
400g Hen of the woods in 4 x 100g chunks
50g butter
10g thyme
2 cloves of garlic
4 slices of sourdough
50g roasted and chopped hazelnuts
For the garlic emulsion, cut all the cloves in half and remove the germ. Place in a pan and cover with cold water, then bring to the boil. Remove from the heat as soon as they boil, strain, and cover once again with cold water repeating the boiling method three times.
Place the blanched garlic in the pan with the cream and pinch of salt and reduce by half, transfer to a blender and blitz to a smooth puree pass through a sieve and set aside to cool. Place into a squeezy bottle or piping bag. The puree can then be kept in the fridge for 5 days.
Take a large frying pan, over a medium heat melt the butter until it is foaming.
Add the mushrooms in a single layer and season with salt. Allow the mushrooms to cook without turning the over until they are golden in colour, when this occurs turn them over add the thyme and garlic turn down the heat and cook until tender. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add the sourdough to the pan and fry the bread until golden and all the butter has been absorbed.
Place a slice of sourdough on each plate top with the mushrooms (refresh briefly in the oven if they are too cool). Pipe the garlic on to the mushrooms as shown in the picture although you can spread it on the bread if you find that easier. Sprinkle the hazelnuts over the top.
