Kasha pilaf with hot smoked trout and chervil

Try this comforting simple winter dish.

• serves

  4

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  20 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• ¼ cup dried porcini mushrooms (see Note)
• 60 g butter
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 200 g kasha (buckwheat grains) (see Note)
• 100 g Swiss brown mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 100 g flat mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 100 g button mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 200 g hot smoked trout
• ½ cup chopped chervil leaves

Soaking time 30 minutes

Standing time 5 minutes

Instructions

Place porcini in a large bowl. Cover with 750 ml warm water and stand for 30 minutes.

Melt half the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until golden. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add kasha and porcini with soaking liquid and bring to the boil. Cover with a tight-fitting lid, reduce heat to low. Simmer for 10 minutes or until liquid has completely absorbed. Remove from heat and stand covered for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt remaining 30g butter in a pan over medium heat. Add all remaining mushrooms and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until just browned. Stir in kasha mixture and trout, season, then fold in chervil. Serve.

Note

• Dried porcini mushrooms are from delis, greengrocers and specialist food shops.

• Kasha (buckwheat grains) is available from Eastern European food shops, select greengrocers and specialist food shops.

Photography by Derek Swalwell.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.