Mushroom stifado

Dinner with 19 ingredients.

Servings: 4

Total time: 100 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 bay leaves
• 1 large or 2 small cinnamon sticks
• 2 teaspoon Greek clear honey
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 3 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 125 millilitre dry red wine
• 4 whole cloves
• 25 gram dried porcini mushrooms
• 5 whole allspice berries
• 75 gram Kalamata black olive pitted and chopped
• 1 tablespoon tomato purée
• 100 millilitre olive oil plus extra for drizzling
• 1 kilogram mixed mushrooms such as oyster, cep, chestnut, morel, Portobello
• Horseradish mash (see 'Goes well with'), to serve
• 500 gram pickling onions
• 50 gram vegetarian kefalotyri/ pecorino grated (optional)
• 4 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 3 garlic cloves finely chopped
• 2 tomatoes peeled and finely chopped

Method

1. Soak the dried porcini in warm water for 1 hr. Heat half the oil in a large, wide-bottomed pan. Add the whole onions and a pinch of sea salt, and cook over a low heat until caramelised, about 20 mins, stirring occasionally. Remove the onions and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, cut the fresh mushrooms into halves and quarters, to give rough 4cm pieces. Once the onions have been removed from the pan, add the remaining oil and cook the fresh mushrooms and garlic over a medium heat for 10 mins until browned, stirring frequently. Return the onions to the pan, pour in the wine and cook for 5-10 mins until reduced by half.
3. Strain the porcini, reserving 200ml of the soaking liquid. Tip the porcini and reserved liquid into the pan with the tomato purée, vinegar, bay leaves, allspice, cinnamon, cloves, peppercorns and tomatoes.
4. Cook, uncovered, over a medium-low heat for about 1 hr, stirring occasionally, until the liquid thickens. Add the olives and honey, and season to taste. Sprinkle with the parsley and cheese and serve with Horseradish mash (see 'Goes well with').