THREE-MUSHROOM GOULASH

This tasty and substantial supper dish can be served with boiled potatoes, rice or tagliatelle: if you have poppy seeds to hand, sprinkle on lightly to provide a soft crunch. Feel free to halve the quantity of tomatoes and add a small glass of red wine, if liked.

About 8g dried porcini mushrooms 300 g mixed fresh mushrooms A splash of olive oil

15 g butter

1 shallot, sliced

1 tbsp tomato purée

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 tsp smoked paprika, plus extra to garnish

1⁄2 tsp caraway seeds, lightly crushed in a spice mill or pestle and mortar 230-g can chopped tomatoes, or 1⁄2 a 400-g can

A splash of water, wine or stock, if necessary

A squeeze of lemon juice

200-g tub soured cream

A small handful of fresh parsley or tarragon, chopped

Put the porcini in a cup or heatproof bowl, cover with 100 ml boiling water and set aside to steep while you trim the mushrooms. Slice any large mushrooms, halve or quarter smaller ones, but aim for a variety of shapes and sizes. Now line a small sieve with a piece of kitchen paper towel and place over a cup or jug. Fish the porcini out of their soaking liquid (do not discard) with your fingers, rinse under the tap to remove any remaining grit and slice roughly. Pour the soaking juices into the sieve, allow the liquid to filter through and discard the kitchen paper towel and the bits caught in it.

Heat the oil and butter in a large frying pan and add the shallot. Cook over a medium heat till starting to go brown (2–3 minutes) then raise the heat and add the mushrooms and porcini. Some mushrooms release water, so just keep stirring and sizzling until any liquid has boiled away and the mushrooms are appealingly browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato purée, garlic, paprika and caraway and cook for 30 seconds.

Now stir in the porcini soaking juices and tomatoes and simmer till slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Add a splash of water, wine or stock if necessary, to achieve a saucy consistency. Season well and add a squeeze of lemon juice to brighten the flavour.

When ready to serve, swirl in about 3⁄4 of the soured cream and heat through. Check the seasoning and serve with the remaining soured cream and a sprinkle of paprika and chopped herbs.