Parasol Mushroom Roast Dinner with White Wine Jus

Today I have a treat for you. This year has proven to be a blessing for mushrooms, and to my delight, Huw discovered parasol mushrooms growing along the border of one of our gardens. Large and shaggy, these mushrooms have a light, fluffy texture, brown quickly in the pan, and release a beautiful, slightly sour aroma and taste. If you aren’t sure what you’re looking for when foraging mushrooms, always consult a textbook or expert, but parasol mushrooms are one of the safer varieties, as their toxic counterpart lives in America and nothing else looks quite like them. If you live in the US, conduct a spore test. The toxic variety has green spores.

Foraging Mushrooms

Now is the best time to forage for mushrooms in the northern hemisphere. After rain, on a sunny or warmer day, they start popping up all over the place. Check fields and woodlands, especially nearby dead trees.

If you’re new to foraging, read up on the laws of your local area and never trespass on private land. Also, never harvest too much of anything. From fungus to plants to berries and fruit, too much will not only damage the individual organisms but also the creatures that rely on the food for survival.

When it comes to identifying edible mushrooms, always consult expert advice. I use the Forager’s Calendar book by John Write, but feel free to use any source you trust.

Parasol Mushroom Recipe
Makes 2

• 2 Large parasol mushrooms, stems removed

• A splash of Worcestershire sauce

• 2 Large baking potatoes

• 1 tsp Wholegrain mustard

• 1 tsp White Miso

• 25g Salted butter

• 6 Tender stem broccoli florets

• 1 White onion

• 3 Carrots

• 50ml White wine (preferably locally produced)

• 1/2 tsp Yeast extract or 100ml stock

• A small splash of balsamic / sherry vinegar

• 1 inch of fresh rosemary

• Salt and cracked pepper

• A splash of oil

Step 1

Preheat the oven at 190C (375f) and wash all the vegetables to remove any soil. Cut the carrots into batons and spread them out on a metal roasting tray with oil and a pinch of salt. When hot, pop them in the oven. Whilst they cook, roughly chop up the onion and scatter it into the tray after 20 minutes, taking the opportunity to flip the carrots over and continue to cook for a further 25 minutes.

Step 2

Cut the potatoes into 1cm cubes and drop them into a pan of salted boiling water. Make sure to select baking potatoes as new / salad potatoes aren’t dry enough and will make a paste rather than a fluffy mash. Dropping the potato in boiling water instead of cold will help blow out the starches, again, resulting in fluffier mash. Cook for 25-30 minutes.

Step 3

Heat an oven proof pan over a medium to high temperature whilst you remove the stems from the mushrooms. Leaving them whole, place them gill side down with a splash of oil. After 40 seconds of frying, flip them over and douse with a small splash of Worcestershire sauce before placing the whole lot in the oven to cook for 15 minutes.

Step 4

10 minutes before everything is due to come out of the oven, add the white wine, yeast extract, vinegar and rosemary to a saucepan over a medium heat to reduce into a glassy jus. Remove the rosemary before serving.

Step 5

5 minutes before the potatoes are ready to mash, place a sieve over the saucepan and lay the broccoli in it. Balance the lid over the top and let them steam for 5 minutes until vivid green (but still a little crunchy).

Step 6

Drain the potatoes and tip them back into the saucepan with the butter, miso and mustard. Mash them until fluffy, then serve along with the remaining ingredients, drizzled with jus.