Post ID3250
A few weeks ago we all went mushroom hunting.
Charles Hooper and Lisa Aitken, the lovely people from Forest Garden Shovelstrode invited us on a Fantastic World of Fungi Course, which they run in the beautiful woodlands around their West Sussex property and in nearby Ashdown Forest.
Mycologist Iona Fraser, who is licenced to teach in the Ashdown Forest, was there to lead the course. She explained that of the 14,000 types of fungi that grow in the UK, only about 20 are edible. The kids were most enthralled with tales of deadly fungi that have evocative names like poison pies, death caps, panther caps and destroying angels. We didn’t spot any killers, but as we plunged deep into the woodland Iona encouraged us to use all of our senses and we snuffled out some wonderful stuff. There was honey fungus that leaked white milk. Dog stinkhorns that smelled vile. Others were covered in weird slime, while some looked like they were straight from a Noddy adventure. The hairy curtain crusts had us giggling most of the afternoon.
The best bit, of course, was foraging for edibles that were hiding under the golden autumn leaf litter. The kids were thrilled to find vast clusters of golden and trumpet chanterelles, as well as ceps (porcini), that were destined for the pot. It was a wonderful way to spend a damp autumn day.
Charles and Lisa hold lots of courses at Shovelstrode throughout the year, from carving and weaving to beekeeping and sourdough making. Guests can also stay in two comfy yurts tucked away in the forest. The pair gave up London TV careers to pursue their ambitious plans for the garden, which sits between their house and the forest, and features a lovely big wildlife pond. They hope to be self-sufficient one day.
After being immersed in the wonderfully musty smell of mushrooms all day we were craving a fungi feast when we got home. This is what we had and it’s perfect autumn/winter fare. The nutty, slightly earthy taste of the barley is a delicious fit with the mushrooms. You could serve this with rice if you really want to but go with barley if you can.
Smokey mushroom stew with barley
Serves 2
- 650ml vegetable stock, ideally porcini stock
- 200g pearled barley, rinsed well
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 400g mixed mushrooms, ideally including some wild fungi and shiitake
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley, plus more for sprinkling
- finely grated zest of ½ lemon, plus a squeeze of lemon
- 3 tablespoons marsala
- 200ml passata, plus a little more if needed
- 1 teaspoon chipotle paste
- a pinch of brown sugar
- squeeze of lemon
Bring the stock to the boil in a saucepan and add the barley. Cook according to packet instructions (about 25 minutes), adding a little water if the liquid gets absorbed before the barley is cooked. By the end of cooking the stock should be completely absorbed and the grains tender but retaining some bite.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a lidded pan and stir in the mushrooms, garlic, thyme, the 1 tablespoon parsley and the lemon zest. Reduce the heat, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Turn up the heat, add the marsala and let it bubble away for a minute or so as you stir and scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Cover and reduce the heat again, and cook for 10 minutes more.
Add the passata, chipotle paste and sugar. Cook over a very low heat with the lid off until you have a rich dark sauce, about 5 minutes. Add a little more passata if the stew is too thick. Stir in the squeeze of lemon and season well with salt and pepper. Spoon the barley into serving bowls, top with the mushroom stew and serve sprinkled with parsley.
