Yotam Ottolenghi’s mushroom recipes | Food (2024)

It takes a bit of know-how to unleash that potential, and those friendly fungi do need a bit of tough love every now and then. Tear, shred or mince them before subjecting them to searing heat and lots of oil both to stop them from going sloppy-squidgy and to ensure you get that full-on, delicious, mushroomy umami delight.

Confit oyster mushrooms with lemon aïoli (pictured above)

The flavoured oil you get from the initial cooking of the mushrooms is used later both in the aïoli and to give the mushrooms a final sear. You’ll still have some left over, though, so don’t let it go to waste: drizzle it over salads or roast veg. If you can’t get baby king oyster mushrooms, use another wild mushroom instead, or 800g oyster mushrooms in total. I like these with toasted sourdough.

Prep 15 min
Cook 1 hr 45 min
Serves 4 as a starter

Put the mushrooms in a large saucepan with the thyme, rosemary, bay, crushed peppercorns, lemon peel, five garlic cloves and two teaspoons of flaked salt. Pour over the oil – the mushrooms won’t be completely submerged initially – and put on a medium-high heat. Once the oil starts to bubble very gently, turn the temperature to its lowest setting and cook, uncovered, for an hour, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are tender. Strain off 100ml of the oil and set aside to cool, so it can be used in the aïoli.

Strain the mushrooms through a sieve, reserving the remaining cooking oil but discarding the bay leaves, lemon peel and any large herb sprigs. (If you’re not eating the mushrooms straight away, transfer them to a clean glass jar, along with all the remaining oil and aromatics, and refrigerate for up to four days.)

To finish, put a large saute pan on a high flame and, once it’s very hot, add half the drained mushrooms and a tablespoon and a half of their cooking oil, and fry for about five minutes, until golden in places. Stir through half the parsley, then transfer to a bowl and repeat with the remaining mushrooms, another tablespoon and a half of their oil and the remaining parsley.

Spoon the mushrooms on to four plates, top with a generous spoonful of aïoli, sprinkle over a pinch of crushed pink peppercorns and serve with the lemon wedges alongside.

The ultimate tray-bake ragu

Prep 25 min
Cook 1 hr 30 min
Serves 6

Heat the oven to 210C (190C fan)/ 410F/gas 6½. Mix the first 12 ingredients in a large, 36cm x 28cm nonstick baking tin and roast for 40 minutes, stirring once halfway, until golden brown and bubbling.

Reduce the heat to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6, and stir all the remaining ingredients except the basil into the tin with 150ml water, half a teaspoon of salt and a very generous grind of black pepper, scraping up the crisp sides and base with a spatula as you go.

Cover tightly with foil, bake for 40 minutes more, then remove the foil and bake for a final five minutes. Set aside to rest for 15 minutes, sprinkle the basil on top and serve.

Spicy mushroom lasagne

Prep 30 min
Cook 2 hr
Serves 6

130ml double cream
60g pecorino romano, finely grated
60g parmesan, finely grated
5g basil leaves, finely chopped
3 tbsp finely chopped parsley leaves, plus 1 tsp extra, to serve
240g dried lasagne (ie, about 14 sheets)

Heat the oven to its highest setting (or 230C fan). In four or five batches, finely chop the fresh mushrooms in a food processor on the pulse setting, then tip into a large bowl and toss with three tablespoons of oil and a teaspoon of salt. Spread out on a large, 40cm x 35cm oven tray lined with baking paper, and roast for 20 minutes in the top third of the oven, stirring once halfway, until the mushrooms are golden brown. Remove and turn down the oven to 220C (200C fan)/425F/gas 7.

Heat 60ml oil in a large saute pan on a medium-high heat, then fry the onion mix for eight minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden. Pulse the tomatoes in the food processor until finely chopped, then add to the pan with the tomato puree and a teaspoon and a half each of salt and finely cracked black pepper. Cook for seven minutes, stirring occasionally, then add the rehydrated mushroom mix and the roast mushrooms, and cook for seven minutes more, resisting the urge to stir too much: you want them to go slightly crisp and brown on the bottom. Stir in the reserved mushroom liquid and 800ml water and, once it comes up to a simmer, reduce the heat to medium and cook for 18 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mix reduces to a ragu consistency. Stir in 100ml of the cream, simmer for two minutes, then turn off the heat.

Drizzle a tablespoon of cream and a tablespoon of oil over the top, cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil, turn up the oven to 240C (220C fan)/465F/gas 9, and bake for 10 minutes more, turning the dish halfway, until the edges are brown and crisp. Leave to rest for five or so minutes, then drizzle over the remaining tablespoon each of cream and oil, sprinkle with the extra parsley and serve hot.