Mushrooms Smothered With Spinach
Mushrooms vary from the rich black field variety and those grown in hay and compost and available year round, to all sorts with strange names. The treatment is pretty much the same, no matter what they’re called.
Mushrooms are very happy with spinach. Spinach is very comfortable with mushrooms. And I’m not talking truffles here, just plain old every-week mushrooms. What follows is so simple it is laughable. Yet I put it down as a significant recipe, because it fulfils all the best things about cooking. It’s extremely simple, it’s quick, and it brings through the best flavours of each of the ingredients. The process gives life to the mushrooms, and brings out the essence of the spinach. The dish sits more than adequately on its own, as an accompaniment to meat or fish, on toast, or as a key player with pasta or risotto.
1-2 onions, chopped roughly
2 cloves garlic, chopped finely
walnut-sized piece of ginger, chopped finely
1 hot chilli, sliced finely
virgin olive oil
a little white wine
200 g mushrooms, cleaned, peeled and sliced
small bunch of thyme, chopped finely
1 bunch of spinach, washed and drained well
salt
black pepper
small bunch of parsley, chopped roughly
1
On a low heat, soften the onion, garlic, ginger and chilli in a little olive oil. Keep stirring, cooking the mixture gently until the onion starts giving away its moisture – about 10 minutes.
2
Add a splash of white wine, stirring through the onion mixture. Keep stirring and cook for another couple of minutes.
3
Add the sliced mushroom and thyme and continue to cook until the mushroom softens. This will take another 5 minutes.
4
Place the spinach on top, pressing it down. Cover the lot with a lid, and continue cooking for a few minutes, until the spinach softens and wilts. Stir through to mix the spinach with the mushroom and thyme. Season with salt and black pepper, and add a little virgin olive oil and the parsley. Serve from the pan.
WINE: The drink depends on what time of day you attack the mushies – red wine goes well, and a glass of very old tawny port if it’s in the middle of winter.