Poached spicy mushrooms

I taught myself how to make this dish after eating something similar at a deli in London. It riffs on the idea of poaching a variety of mushrooms and then cooking them in herbs and spices. You really honour all the flavours of the mushroom and elevate them with the second cooking process. It’s a dish that keeps on giving.

Credit: Armelle Habib

• serves

  8

• prep

  10 minutes

• cook

  45 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 500 ml (17 fl oz/2 cups) red wine vinegar
• 5 bay leaves
• 3 garlic cloves, sliced
• ½ tsp whole pepperberries
• 100 g (31/2 oz) enoki mushrooms
• 200 g (7 oz) oyster mushrooms, sliced
• 200 g (7 oz) shiitake mushrooms
• 200 g (7 oz) king brown mushrooms, sliced
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp native thyme
• 1 tbsp chilli paste
• 100 g (31/2 oz) samphire
• 100 g (31/2 oz) karkalla
• lettuce cups, to serve

Instructions

1. In a large pot, combine 1 litre (34 fl oz/4 cups) water, the vinegar, bay leaves, half the garlic and the pepperberries and boil for 30 minutes. Add the mushrooms and poach on low for 10 minutes, then drain and strain off the liquid. Set the mushrooms aside.

2. In a large frying pan, heat the oil and fry the remaining garlic, the mushrooms, thyme, chilli paste, samphire and karkalla for 5 minutes before adding salt to taste.

3. Eat with lettuce cups.

This is an edited extract from Mabu Mabu by Nornie Bero, published by Hardie Grant Books. Photography by Armelle Habib.

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.