Three cheese stuffed mushrooms

As a child one of the things I thought worthy of a dip into room 101 was mushrooms. However, with most things you had an immediate dislike for (girls, good music, alcohol) you soon grow to love over the years, and 'la funghi' is no exception.

Cultivated mushrooms are available throughout the year. The most common three are the same, but are picked at different ages. Button: the youngest, small perfectly round closed cup; Cup: lipped, slightly larger and flatter; Flat: large, older, stronger and the ones that we are using for the purpose of this recipe.

The quantities for this recipe were for three mushrooms; adjust them for smaller or larger amounts. You can see how much stuffing you have, add a little more cream cheese or cheddar to bulk. I have used a plain cream cheese by a famous producer, who also have various flavoured products you could experiment with.

50g Butter, softened
Bunch flat leaf parsley
1 clove of garlic, crushed
3 large flat mushrooms, peeled, stalks removed and finely chopped
1/2 Red onion or 1 small shallot, finely diced
1 large heaped Tbsp of cream cheese
25g Red Cheddar, grated
Handful of breadcrumbs
25g of Parmesan Cheese or Grana Padano, grated
Olive oil
Salt & Pepper

1. Take half of the butter, finely chop some of the parsley, garlic and mix to make a garlic butter. Using a pastry brush, brush a baking tray lightly with the butter, the outside of the mushrooms and more generously inside the cup of each one. Season the cup with salt and pepper.

2. Take the other half of the butter and melt over a low heat in a small pan, add the diced onion and mushroom stalk. Sweat until the onion the onion is transparent. Meanwhile, in a bowl, add the cream cheese and cheddar, then when they're ready the onion/mushroom mix. Season with salt & pepper.

3. Spoon the mixture between the mushrooms, being careful not to over fill them. The mushrooms with shrink when cooked and the mixture with spread. Fill only slightly over the lip of each. Take the breadcrumbs and mix with the Parmesan, some more finely chopped parsley and bind with the olive oil a little at a time. When you squeeze the mix it should hold together. Pat the crumb on to each mushroom.

4. Place in the oven at 180c for 15-20 minutes or until the crumbs has turned golden brown. Good as a light lunch with rocket salad or to accompany steaks.

February: Savoy Cabbage

A trio of savoy cabbages came into work last week, heavy and fresh, with luscious outer leaves, no leathery wrinkles attacked by pesky invaders. They were perfect in every way, instantly you knew these were not long from the earth, the first crop of the year, straight into the kitchen, straight in the pan. 

The savoy cabbage, strong and bold, handles the harsh winter frosts and emerges in February providing a splash of green nourishment.The benefits read like a health store till receipt, providing fibre, vitamins A,C,K and B6, folate, potassium, manganese, thiamine, calcium, iron and magnesium. Alex James once wrote about how you could "actually eat yourself thin" by eating only cabbage soup, recommended by a heart surgeon. 

It's my favourite cabbage to cook, it has a wonderful nutty flavour, requires very little preparation and cooking to get the most out of it. The key word being 'little'; savoy or any cabbage should not be overcooked. Cut the stalks from the thicker outer leaves and shred (across the grain of the leaves) as fine as possible. Make sure you buy them whole and use them as you need them, pre-shredded packs will have a diminished vitamin content. 

1.Garlic and nutmeg savoy side 

This is a very simple recipe and is good for accompanying meats, particularly roast dinners. Other green brassicas, and white cabbage work well here but white must be finely shredded. The secret here is to soften the cabbage gently, not to saute (to brown) at high temperature, so the results are al dente and buttery. 

1Tbsp Olive oil

25g Unsalted butter

1/4 Savoy cabbage

1 small clove garlic

Whole nutmeg

Salt & Pepper

1. After shredding and rinsing the cabbage, finely crush the garlic. Heat the oil and butter over a low heat and  add the garlic. Sweat for 2 mins. 

2. Add the cabbage, coat in the butter well by stirring or tossing, and season with salt. This will help draw out moisture and prevent browning. The rest of the cooking time will depend, keep stirring or tossing, if your pan has a lid this will speed up the process, but after around 7-8 minutes the cabbage should be done. 

3.Grate about 1/4 tsp of nutmeg into the pan and a generous punch of freshly ground black pepper. Taste, and see if it requires further seasoning or nutmeg. Taste again. 

2.Belting braised gammon steaks and savoy cabbage

A classic combination, cabbage and bacon. In this instance I have used whole gammon steaks and braised them, and finished the final cooking liquor with cream. Braising allows the meat to cook 'slow n low', basically cooking at a lower temperature, for a long time. The result is tender meat, that falls apart at the touch and melts in the mouth. This method of cookery is particularly good for cheaper cuts meat, and would work equally as good with ham hocks or a whole joint of gammon.

4 thick smoked gammon steaks, any rind/fat trimmed off. 

Mirepoix, finely chopped. 

1 onion

2 sticks of celery

1 medium carrot

500ml chicken or vegetable stock

150ml double cream

50g butter

1 small savoy cabbage (half a large), finely shredded

500g baby/new potatoes peeled & left whole

oil

Salt & Pepper

1. Preheat oven to 150 C. You will need a large heavy based casserole pan, preferably with a lid. Heat some oil in a pan over a high heat and fry each steak 1/2 at a time until browned, and put aside.   

2. Reduce the heat of the pan, melt the butter and add the Mirepoix of vegetables. Sweat them down for 10 minutes. Once the vegetables are soft and translucent, put the steaks back in the pan. I doesn't matter if they overlap a little, add the stock (making sure not to cover the steaks, you may not need all of the stock) and some salt & pepper. Place the lid or foil lid on top and place in the oven (or on very low simmer on the stove) for an hour & half. Add the potatoes for the last half hour of cooking. 

3. Remove the gammon and potatoes and keep warm. Strain the cooking liquor and place back in the pan, discard the Mirepoix. Bring the liquor to the boil and add the savoy cabbage, simmer (about 10 minutes) until the cabbage is al dente (don't boil the cabbage). Stir in the cream, return the potatoes and correct the seasoning. 

4. In large bowls, using a slotted spoon, place the cabbage & potatoes first, and then perch your gammon steaks on top. Ladle the creamy cooking liquor over the top and serve with fresh crusty bread.  

Seasonal Update: February

"February is a suitable month for dying. Everything around is dead, the trees black and frozen so that the appearance of green shoots two months hence seems preposterous, the ground hard and cold, the snow dirty, the winter hateful, hanging too long. " - Anna Quindlen, One True Thing. 

It’s the shortest of our twelve months, maybe rightly so, frightful weather and the bridge between winter and March spring. However, in a culinary sense February has more to offer than commercialised heart shaped boxes of chocolates and pancake batter.

The land begins to emerge from its sleepy doldrums, with a stretch and groan; there are hints of spring to be found, but these are few and far between.  Historical English terms appropriately describe it as ‘Solmonath’ (Mud Month) and more importantly ‘Kale-monath’ because of the tough post frost sprouting brassicas kale and savoy cabbage.

Savoy is the jewel in the February crown, but other seasonal treats include chicory, carrots, and rose pink forced Yorkshire rhubarb. Combine these with the on-going availability of potatoes, and other root veg mean there are some comforting meals to take the mind off the unforgiving conditions outside.

There is little in the way of meat coming in, venison is still good and rabbit will be available for stewing, but really focus should be turned to the sea. Mussels are in season from September until March so should be sought out before it’s too late. Scallops are available all year round, but the native scallop is best in these wintery months and if you’re a Valentinus lover not a hater then there’s the aphrodisiacal Oyster.