The earthy flavours of the mushrooms combine beautifully with the spicy sweet sauce. When the dish is ready to eat, the mushrooms and peppers will be very dark and lush - irresistible in flavour and aroma. Serve on brown toast, Jacket Potatoes or Polenta.
Serves 8 as a starter, or 4 as a generous main.
500g large mushrooms, such as portabella
30g Tropical Wholefoods dried mushrooms (Porcini, Shiitake, Oyster or Chanterelles - or a combination)
2 medium green or red peppers
1 onion
125g butter
2tbsp Dijon mustard
2tbsp Worcestershire Sauce (vegetarian if required)
1 tsp brown sugar
125ml mellow red table wine
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Ingredients
1. Soak Tropical Wholefoods dried mushrooms in enough water to cover them.
2. Wipe clean the fresh mushrooms, and cut each one into quarters or thick slices if they are very large.
3. Wash and de-seed the peppers and cut them into 3 cm squares.
4. Peel and chop the onion. Melt the butter in a large saucepan and sauté the onion until translucent.
5. Prepare the sauce by mixing together the mustard, brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce until you have a perfectly smooth paste. Add the wine, season with lots of fresh ground pepper and a little salt and stir well.
6. After 20 minutes of soaking, drain the dried mushrooms, reserving the soaking liquid.
7. Add the fresh and soaked mushrooms, and the peppers to the onions in the pan, and sauté for a few minutes stirring often.
8. As the mushrooms begin to brown and reduce in size, add the wine sauce. Simmer the mixture over a low flame for about 45 minutes or until the sauce has reduced and thickened. If the dish seems short of liquid, add a little of the soaking liquid from the dried mushrooms, taking care to leave the bottom of the liquid behind as it may be slightly gritty.
Method