Mushroom And Chestnut Piesauce Recipes

CHESTNUTS AND WILD MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a skillet and slowly let the garlic get brown. Saute the Shiitake until soft (adding a spoonful of water if necessary so they don't burn). Add the chestnuts and saute just to reheat them and season well with salt and lots of ground black pepper.

WILD MUSHROOM & CHESTNUT COTTAGE PIE

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large frying pan, add the carrot, swede and onions, and cook for 8 mins. Add the garlic, rosemary, tomato purée and yeast extract, and cook for a further 5 mins. Add the tomatoes and white wine and scrape all the goodness off the bottom of the pan. Pour in the stock, add the mushrooms and chestnuts, then simmer for 8 mins until the sauce is reduced and thickened. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
• Meanwhile, to make the topping, put all the vegetables in a large pan of salted water and bring to the boil. Cook for 12 mins or until the vegetables are tender. Drain, then allow to steam-dry for 5 mins. Roughly mash the roots with the butter, milk and some seasoning.
• Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Pile the mushroom mixture into an ovenproof dish, top with the mash, then cook for 30 mins until golden and bubbling. Serve with some buttered greens, if you like.

PASTA WITH CHESTNUTS AND MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Using a paring knife, make a horizontal cut on the flat side of each chestnut. Place them in boiling water to cover, and cook for 3 minutes. Remove them from the water a few at a time and peel while still hot.
• Soak the mushrooms in about 1 1/2 cups of very hot water. For the pasta, bring a large pot of water to a boil, and salt it.
• Place half the butter in a skillet, turn the heat to medium-high, and a minute later, add the shallots. Sprinkle lightly with salt, and cook, stirring, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Chop the chestnuts into 1/2- to 1/4-inch chunks, then measure about a cup. Add them to the skillet, along with a little more salt.
• Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chestnuts deepen in color, about 5 minutes. Remove the mushrooms from the water; strain and reserve the liquid. Chop the mushrooms, and add them to the skillet; cook, stirring, for a minute or two, then add the strained liquid. Turn the heat to low, and season to taste with salt and lots of black pepper.
• Cook the pasta until tender but not mushy. If the chestnut sauce is too thick, add a little of the pasta water to it when the pasta is nearly done. Stir in the remaining butter.Drain the pasta, and dress with the sauce. Serve immediately.

MUSHROOM AND CHESTNUT PIE/SAUCE

Steps:

• Melt the butter with the oil in a large frying pan, and add the diced mushrooms, minced garlic and sliced shallots. Fry over a medium-low heat for 5 minutes, and then add the chopped chestnuts. Continue to cook for another 5 minutes, stirring regularly, until the mushrooms and onions are soft.
• Add the wine and some dried thyme to the mushroom mixture, and cook for a couple of minutes until most of the wine has evaporated. Add the stock, and bring to a simmer. Continue to simmer gently until the mixture has reduced a little, just a few minutes.
• Add the cream and grated gruyère, and mix together. As the cheese melts it should help to form a creamy sauce. Bring the mixture to your desired consistency - add a dash more stock if you'd like it to be thinner, or simmer it for a few more minutes to thicken it up. Season to taste.
• If you want to serve as a "pie," you can pour over warm biscuits or puff pastry. This also makes a wonderful sauce for pasta or veggies.