MUSHROOMS WITH GNUDI & PARMESAN SHORTBREAD

SERVES 4 / PREPARATION 45 MINUTES / COOKING 20 MINUTES

300g drained ricotta (I used Zany Zeus brand)

50g parmesan, finely grated, plus extra to serve

60g fine semolina, plus a little extra

2 size 6 egg yolks dash of pure olive oil

2 cloves garlic, cut in half

1 large shallot, finely diced

300g shiitake mushrooms, stalks removed,

large ones cut in half (I used mushrooms from Out of the Dark) 200g oyster mushrooms, large ones cut in half

25g butter

2 tablespoons finely chopped chives, to serve parmesan shortbread, to serve

Society garlic flowers (or any other

allium flowers; optional)

To make the ricotta gnudi, put the ricotta, parmesan, semolina and egg yolks in a food processor and blend till very smooth. Season well. Take tablespoons of the mixture and roll into balls, then store on a bed of semolina in the fridge for at least an hour before cooking. This recipe will make a few more than the 16 balls required, but they will keep in the fridge for 2 days.

Heat a frying pan and add a dash of pure olive oil. Gently cook the garlic to infuse the oil. When the cloves are browned take from the pan and discard before adding the shallots. Cook the shallots until translucent, then add the shiitake mushrooms and a pinch of sea salt. Fry gently together for a minute before adding the oyster mushrooms.

Bring a large saucepan of water to a gentle simmer. Drop in the gnudi and simmer gently for 2 minutes until cooked through. Remove with a slotted spoon and put onto a paper towel to drain.

Meanwhile add a dash of water to the mushroom pan to create some steam which will finish cooking the mushrooms and keep them from drying out. When the water has evaporated, take the pan off the heat and stir in the butter to glaze the mushrooms. Adjust the seasoning.

Spoon the mushrooms onto warmed dinner plates then gently top each with four gnudi. Finish the dish with finely grated parmesan, chives, garlic flowers and crumbled parmesan shortbread.

FOR THE PARMESAN SHORTBREAD

½ teaspoon finely chopped rosemary 100g all-purpose flour

100g parmesan, finely grated 100g butter, softened

In a food processor blitz the rosemary into the flour. Add the parmesan and butter and process to form a dough. Roll into a cylinder, wrap in plastic wrap and chill.

Slice into 5mm pieces, put onto a lined baking tray and bake at 160℃ for 20 minutes until golden. Allow to cool before storing in an airtight container.