Mushrooms are one of my favourite veg. I love their earthy flavour and meaty texture. Normally I stick to the classic garlic and thyme to flavour them. But for some reason a few weeks ago I thought I'd experiment with Spanish-syle smoked paprika.
Even I was surprised how amazing it tasted. And my Irishman, who isn't wild about mushrooms, was raving. Win!
enough for: 2
takes: 30 minutes
500g (1 pound) large flat mushrooms, sliced
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 large handfuls walnuts
salad leaves, to serve
sour cream, to serve
1. Preheat your oven to 250C (480F). Toss sliced mushrooms, paprika, oil in a roasting pan. Scatter over salt. Roast, uncovered for 10 minutes.
2. Stir mushies and add walnuts. Cook for another 5 minutes or until the mushrooms are tender and the walnuts toasted.
3. Divide salad leaves between two bowls. Top with hot mushies and walnuts. Finish with a good dollop of sour cream. If you want to get fancy, sprinkle over a little more smoked paprika to make the sour cream look pretty.
Wine match: A nice earthy Pinot Noir
Variations
no oven - just pan fry the mushrooms and nuts instead.
no smoked paprika - use regular paprika or just skip it or replace with a small bunch thyme.
carnivore - add chorizo or chicken thigh fillets (or breasts) as well as, or instead of the walnuts. Also goes well with bacon, sausages, jamon or proscuitto.
nut-free - see the carnivore options or replace with a poached or fried egg.
different mushrooms - use any mushrooms you like, just remember to adjust the cooking time for smaller or larger ones.
more substantial - use more nuts or see the carnivore option. Or serve with mayo instead of the sour cream.
carb-lovers - serve with crusty bread and butter, warm tortillas or toss in some cooked grains like farro, quinoa or brown rice. Also good with boiled potatoes.
dairy-free - replace sour cream with mayonnaise or smashed avocado and lime juice or cashew sauce.
hot! - use hot smoked paprika or add some fresh or dried chillies.
Waste Avoidance Strategy
mushrooms – keep in the fridge in a brown paper bag. Once cooked will keep for weeks. And can be frozen raw or cooked.
moved paprika / olive oil / walnuts - keep them in the pantry.
salad leaves – are highly perishable. My first path would be to use them for another meal (salad for breakfast!) but if that isn’t possible you can pop them in the freezer. They will wilt down but can then be used anywhere you’d use wilted greens. At least this way they wont go slimy.
sour cream – keeps for weeks in the fridge.
Prepare Ahead
The mushrooms can be roasted ahead but don’t add the walnuts, salad or sour cream. Store roast mushies in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or freeze. To serve, toast walnuts in a dry frying pan for a few minutes. Then warm the mushrooms in the pan with a little extra oil. Then serve as per the recipe.