The Friday Fungus: "What's the best way to cook mushrooms?"

Perhaps because I obsess a little about them, folk do ask me, from time to time, what I think is the best way to cook mushrooms. And the answer – if they’re fresh – is to be really simple, not to smother the subtle mushroom flavour with other strong flavours and not to overcook them. There is no doubt that the cheap bistro “garlic mushrooms” – cheap button mushrooms smothered in a thick creamy garlic sauce – is among the greater offences to fungi ever achieved by man.

Here’s what I’d do:

1lb Good quality mixed mushrooms
A shallot
A clove of garlic
Posh salt
Black pepper
3 tablespoons Olive oil
Soda bread
Parmesan
Truffle oil (or other mushroom oil)

Rinse and roughly chop the mushrooms. Finely chop the shallot and the garlic.

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan (with a lid) or a heavy based pan until very hot. Soften the shallots and garlic then bung in the mushrooms – add salt and pepper. Turn heat right down and cover tightly. Cook like this for about 4 or 5 minutes – the mushrooms should absorb all the oil and their juices should be coming out. Turn off the heat and leave covered.

Toast a couple of thick slices of soda bread and turn out the juicy mushrooms onto the toast, drizzle some truffle oil onto the top and top with a few scrapings of parmesan. Serve immediately. You will need a good strong ale to go with this – Taylors Landlord or Shepherd Neame Spitfire would do the job nicely!