Author: Michiel and Jeen

Sharing our love for good food and excellent wine with you: mushrooms, sauces, forgotten vegetables, pies and tartelettes. Join us and Cook and Drink with us!

Cordyceps

3 October 2024

Bright orange mushrooms that look like spaetzle? Interesting. We pick one up and look carefully: a long stem but without a cap with spores. Odd. We ask if they are edible, and the obvious answer is “yes”. We buy 100 grams and decide to look for details and recipes in our mushroom cookery books when at home.
Hm. No mention of Cordyceps. We visit the Forager Chef (Alan Bergo) and read about the background of the Cordyceps (or better: Ophiocordyceps). Parasite mushroom, infects insects, controls them, takes over, kills and then sprouts a fruiting body from their head. The fruit we just bought…
Fortunately, the Cordyceps we bought are grown on substrates that are not made of insects, which make them less scary. Normally when we find a new mushroom on the market, we taste it raw, but not today.
We quickly wash our hands and watch this BBC video as suggested by Chef Bergo. Interesting, but we prefer the culinary aspects of mushrooms.

Use

In traditional Chinese medicine dried and powdered cordyceps are used. Today it is considered to be superfood, supposedly boosting your vitality and endurance. Fresh cordyceps are used in Chinese soups and hot pots. Chef Bergo uses them in a dish with linguini. He writes: “The cordyceps weren’t mind blowing, but they definitely weren’t bad”.
We decide to make an Asia-inspired salad, with stir fried cordyceps, obviously. The salad tasted great. It was nutty, mild, fresh and the texture of the mushrooms worked beautifully with the crunchy radishes. 

Wine Pairing

Best to drink a white wine with a touch of oak, perhaps a chardonnay. We tried something different, a wine made with a grape called Bouquet 1359. The wine is produced by French winery Abbotts & Delaunay. The grape was developed by Alain Bouquet. It is somewhat similar to the chardonnay grape but more resistant and easier to use in an ecologic environment. It comes with aromas of brioche and yellow fruit; the taste is fresh, long and slightly nutty. 

What You Need
  • 100 grams Cordyceps
  • 1 Scallion
  • Bok Choy
  • White Radishes or Daikon
  • Walnut Oil
  • Jerez Vinegar
  • Light Soy Sauce (we used Tsuyu)
  • French Mustard
  • Olive Oil
What You Do
  1. Clean the mushrooms if necessary
  2. Cook radishes or daikon for 4 minutes in boiling water
  3. Let cool quickly and slice or quarter
  4. Finely slice one or two bok choy stems, depending on the size
  5. Heat a skillet, add some olive oil and fry the mushrooms
  6. After 1 minute add the sliced bok choy and the pre-cooked radishes
  7. Toss, leave for 1 or 2 minutes and allow to cool
  8. Transfer to the refrigerator
  9. When ready to serve, make a dressing by combining walnut oil, soy sauce, Jerez vinegar and a touch of mustard. The mustard will emulsify the dressing
  10. Taste and adjust
  11. Happy?
  12. Then add the dressing to the salad, mix and serve as a side dish or small appetizer.
Inspiration

If you’re into video games you will have recognised cordyceps as inspiration of the action-adventure game The Last of Us, which was the inspiration for the American post-apocalyptic drama television series with the same tittle and produced by HBO.
The 2016 movie The Girl with All the Gifts was also inspired by cordyceps. Two Pokémon species are also based on Ophiocordyceps.

Nasty Details

A few days later we opened Merlin Sheldrake’s impressive book Entangled Life. He explains that the fungus doesn’t turn the insects into zombies but controls it like a puppeteer master. He describes how a specific species of Ophiocordyceps is focused on giant ants. The fungus infects the ant and from that moment on it controls the insect. In the end 40% of the body weight of the ant is mycelium (the network created by the fungus). Through the mycelium the fungus controls the ant. When the Ophiocordyceps is ready to propagate, it steers the ant to a height of approximately 25 cm, ideal for the fungus and its spores. The ant then bites into the main vein of a leaf and locks its jaws. The ant is now in an ideal position for the fungus. This is the moment the fungus kills the ant and the fruit begins to grow.
Very pleased our cordyceps were grown on a substrate of grains!

PS

More mushroom recipes on our mushroom page.

Salad of Cordyceps ©cadwu
Fresh Cordyceps ©cadwu
Cordyceps as a side dish ©cadwu

Girolle Omelette

26 September 2024

Friday morning, beginning of September, we go shopping at the organic street market in the beautiful city of Haarlem. We want to buy fruit and vegetables, cheese and obviously mushrooms. The season just started but already the stall offers lobster mushrooms, truffle, chicken of the wood, mai take, trompette de la mort, cèpes and girolles, also the grey (grise) and the yellow ones (jaune). They look perfect and we decide to buy 150 grams. Greyish cap, bright yellow stem, perfect with an omelette. We cross the street and buy extremely old goat cheese, one that matured for 2 to 3 years. Its taste is full of umami, a bit spicy and makes us think of Roquefort. It will be perfect with the aromas and flavours of the girolle jaune.

Wine pairing

The fried girolle comes with an aroma that will make you think of a forest in autumn. Its taste is complex and nutty. The rich egg in combination with the grated old cheese made us decide to drink a glass of Flor de la Mar, barrel aged Chardonnay, produced by Casa Ermelinda Freitas in Portugal. The wine aged for 4 months in barrels made of American oak. It is medium bodied, nicely oaked and comes with hints of citrus and caramel. In general, you’re looking for a lightly oaked chardonnay, balanced, fresh, not too complex.

What You Need
  • 150 grams of Girolle (Jaune)
  • 2 Organic Eggs (preferably Demeter)
  • Very Old Goat Cheese
  • Garlic Clove
  • Olive oil
  • Butter
  • Black Pepper
What You Do

Whisk the eggs together. Warm a small non-stick pan, add some butter and make sure the pan is warm through and through. Add the mixture and leave on low heat until the omelette is baveuse. In the meantime, clean the mushrooms. Perhaps you need to cut off some of the stem. Slice the mushrooms lengthwise in halve. The stem is hollow and may contain sand or other bits of the forest floor. Quickly fry the mushrooms in olive oil. Grate some garlic and add to the mushrooms. Time to plate up: the omelette, fresh black pepper, the mushrooms and some grated goat cheese, not too much, it can be overpowering.

PS

More mushroom recipes on our mushroom page.

Girolle Omelette ©cadwu
Girolle Jaune ©cadwu
Very Old Goat Cheese ©cadwu

Peaches with Lavender

19 September 2024

The cookbook review project hosted by Bernadette has come to an end, unfortunately! It was inspiring to read cookbooks from chefs that were new to us, like Patricia Wells and Nagi Maehahi. It was fun preparing dishes for our esteemed panel and sharing their views with you. Thank you so much Bernadette, for running the project!

José Pizarro - Basque

Our suggestion to the cookbook review team was a book mentioned by Sheree: José Pizarro’s book Basque: Spanish Recipes from San Sebastián & Beyond, published in 2016. It’s a beautifully designed and edited book with a range of diverse dishes, for instance Veal Chops with Black-Eyed Peas, Pan Fried Cèpes with Egg Yolk and Cream Cheese Ice Cream with Blackcurrant and Camomile Syrup. The book is recommended by Claudia Roden (‘José Pizarro is an amazing cook who has brought us the best of Spanish food’) and Rick Stein (‘José’s recipes take us to the very heart of the best Spanish cooking’).

José Pizarro was born in the Extremadura region in Spain. Currently he owns seven restaurants in the UK and one in Abu Dhabi. He published six Spanish cookery books, received various awards and is often credited with making Spanish food popular in the UK.

We decided to make two dishes from the book, Grilled Octopus with Peppers and Aubergine and Roasted Lavender Peaches with Baked Custard. As a main dish we served Pork Belly with Sherry, Chickpeas and Chestnuts, following a recipe published in the Guardian. Our panellist Jan and Anton were happy to provide their feedback.

Grilled Octopus ©cadwu

The starter: Anton mentioned the octopus was tasty, with the right texture and nicely grilled. Jan was also pleasantly surprised by the octopus and its flavours. We all felt the dish as a whole could do with a bit more flavour and some acidity. We also expected the parsley oil to bring the various components together, but that didn’t really happen.

We enjoyed our starter with a glass of Portuguese Vinho Verde, made by Cazas Novas. It comes with floral and fruity notes, has some acidity and a medium body with a good texture and a fresh aftertaste. In general, you’re looking for a wine with freshness, minerality and some acidity.

Pork with Chestnuts, Chickpeas and Sherry ©cadwu

The dish with the pork belly strips was nice. Jan would have preferred the pork to be crispy. Perhaps prepare the stew and the pork separately? Anton enjoyed the chickpeas in the rich combination with sherry, onions, spinach and thyme. Surprisingly flavourful.

The recipe suggests leaving the pot in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes. The next day we decided leaving the leftovers in a warm oven for a few hours. The result was a very nicely integrated stew; a tribute to all ingredients. Next time we will prepare the vegetables a day ahead with some of the pork, perhaps allow for more time in the oven and serve with crispy fried pork.
We enjoyed the dish with a glass of Portuguese red wine, produced by Vidigal. The wine is made with aragonez, castelão and cabernet grapes. The wine has a nice red colour and aromas of fruit and herbs. Its taste is light, with some tannins and a touch of oak. In general, you’re looking for a smooth, easy to drink red wine with character.

Peaches, Lavender and Custard ©cadwu

Time for dessert. Peaches with Lavender? Four peaches and a tablespoon of lavender? Served with custard? We were intrigued.
We looked at the list of ingredients and noticed Patxaran, a sloe flavoured liqueur from the Basque country, normally served as a digestif.
Even more intriguing.

The combination of peaches, lavender, patxaran and custard was a winner. One night we served it with vanilla ice cream, which was a nice and tasty combination. We served our panel the peaches with home-made custard, following the recipe of José Pizarro. It’s a delicious combination. Rich, smooth, silky custard with uplifting, sweet and aromatic peaches. The sauce is a mixture of honey, patxaran and peach juice. Like us you would probably expect the lavender to be over the top, but it worked brilliantly. A winner! Our panel was very pleased and enjoyed the combination.
“Lovely custard, great way to prepare peaches, interesting how the lavender is supporting the fruit, present, never overwhelming, could I have another glass of patxaran?”
Of course you can!

Bernadette final review-question was: should this book be on your shelf? Our answer would be yes, because of the inspirational recipes, the use of ingredients and the beautiful pictures of food and the Basque country.

Basque: Spanish Recipes from San Sebastián & Beyond is available via your local bookshop or the usual channels for 15 euro or 40 US dollar. You can also enjoy the recipes José Pizarro publishes on a monthly basis in the Guardian.

Peaches with Lavender ©cadwu
Pork with Chestnuts, Chickpeas and Sherry ©cadwu
Baked Custard ©cadwu
Peaches, Lavender and Custard ©cadwu
José Pizarro - Basque
Grilled Octopus ©cadwu

Food For Thought

12 September 2024

Don’t we all love our cookies! With chocolate or with hazelnuts, perhaps a classic French Madeleine or a Dutch Stroopwafel: two crispy wafers held together by sweet syrup, baked perfectly golden brown and of course round. Unfortunately, not alle cookies are perfect, sometimes the Madeleines are too brown, or the chocolate chunks are on one side of the cookie only, or one of the wafers is broken or not perfectly round. Manufactures know these products will not be bought by consumers, so what to do? Destroy them? Feed them to pigs?
Which is actually done in the Netherlands: discarded Stroopwafels, Wine Gums, Donuts, Pies and Cakes are fed to pigs. Anything goes. We feel it’s very wrong, poor pigs having to eat all these unhealthy left overs, sometimes passed their best-before-date, containing tons of sugar, food additives and modified, refined ingredients. Not to mention feeding pork pies to pigs.

250X150 Containerschip MSC Leanne in de haven van Jebel Ali in Dubai, 2023, © Kadir van Lohuizen, Het Scheepvaartmuseum, available via https://www.hetscheepvaartmuseum.nl

Photographer and documentary maker Kadir van Lohuizen explored the world behind our global food production. He visited cow farms in the USA, he made videos in mega slaughterhouses where tens of thousands of chickens are slaughtered daily and in a factory with an overwhelming number of chicken incubators (also showing how sick or weak female chicks and all male chicks are separated from the healthy female chicks and destroyed).

One of the videos shows a dairy farm in Al Kawaneej, United Arab Emirates, where they cool 12.500 cows with mist and fogging nozzles (in the middle of the desert), producing some 260.000 liters of milk per day. He travelled to China and visited enormous distribution centers, delivering food, drinks and meals 24/7. In the Netherlands he visited the world’s leading centre of plant breeding and seed technology.
The result of this impressive project is an exhibition called Food For Thought in the Dutch National Maritime Museum in Amsterdam. Food For Thought explores the origin of our food, and the role the Netherlands and the global shipping industry play in our food system. Food For Thought raises questions and dilemma’s; you will go from admiration to bewilderment and back again.

In an interview Kadir van Lohuizen mentioned he liked the idea of feeding left over stroopwafels to pigs. Normally the bakery would destroy the cookies. Isn’t it better to feed them to pigs and import less soy products (apparently that’s what pigs normally eat)?

250x150 Transport van avocado's door groenten- en fruitverwerker Plan Fresh in Kabati (Kena), © 2023, Kadir van Lohuizen, Het Scheepvaartmuseum_0, available via https://www.hetscheepvaartmuseum.nl

Another dilemma: we are not keen on buying asparagus when they are not in season. Or strawberries, green beans, mangos et cetera. Even though the supermarket will offer them every day of the year. Most of these products are grown in Kenia. The country has a great climate for growing vegetables and fruit. Food For Thought shows how people in Kenia benefit from the export, socially and economically.

Why wouldn’t we buy products from Kenia? Because the carbon footprint of the transport? But how about all these lovely Dutch tomatoes and onions? The Netherlands is the second largest exporter in the world, after the United States, producing everything from potatoes to cheese, from seeds to flowers, from eggs to meat. We expect people to buy Dutch food, but we don’t buy avocados from Kenia?

Transport is clearly one of the key aspects of global food production. When pigs are slaughtered in the Netherlands, the spareribs are shipped to the US and the head, kidney, nose, heart and tail to China, because the Dutch consumer loves pork loin and chops but not the other parts.
The Nile perch, introduced in Lake Victoria in the 1950s, completely changed the eco-system, disrupted the circumstances of local fishing communities, is fished commercially, forbidden to be eaten by locals and shipped globally.

250x150 Foodnetherlands_2021_08392 © Kadir van Lohuizen, Het Scheepvaartmuseum , available via https://www.hetscheepvaartmuseum.nl

Food For Thought shows the global food production, distribution and the enormous scale of every aspect. A farm in Hereford (Texas) with 250 thousand animals, a Dutch grower producing 80 million kilos of tomatoes per year (see picture), 100 million chickens living in the Netherlands.

Today 783 million people, meaning 10% of the world’s population, face chronic hunger.

Did we mention that 35% of all food is wasted?

Food For Thought made us think again about our food and how we can contribute to a healthier, better world, with less hunger. We think Ralph Dahlhaus, Chef of the National Maritime Museum, is very wise and helpful in his video statement, shown at Food For Thought:
Your choice of food does not need to be perfect, but it must be responsible.

More information on the website of the National Maritime Museum. Food For Thoughts runs until January 5th, 2025.

PS

Male chicks are destroyed on day one by asphyxiation and/or maceration. For every chicken you eat, one is destroyed. Knowing this we only buy eggs that are organic and if we are sure the male chicks are given a decent life, A demeter egg will cost 65 eurocent compared to 20 cent for a free range egg.
Big difference?
Not really when you think of a soft, cuddly chicken ending up in a shredder.

250x150 Foodnetherlands_2021_08392 © Kadir van Lohuizen, Het Scheepvaartmuseum , available via https://www.hetscheepvaartmuseum.nl
250x150 Transport van avocado's door groenten- en fruitverwerker Plan Fresh in Kabati (Kena), © 2023, Kadir van Lohuizen, Het Scheepvaartmuseum_0, available via https://www.hetscheepvaartmuseum.nl
250X150 Containerschip MSC Leanne in de haven van Jebel Ali in Dubai, 2023, © Kadir van Lohuizen, Het Scheepvaartmuseum, available via https://www.hetscheepvaartmuseum.nl

Far Aux Mirabelles

5 September 2024

Far Breton is a delicious dessert from the French region Bretagne. Originally there are two versions of Far: a savoury one with buckwheat, butter, milk, eggs, salt and lard (to be served as a side dish) and a sweet one with wheat flour, butter, milk, eggs, sugar and (optional) raisins. The savoury version is a component of the traditional dish Kig ha Farz (meaning ‘meat with far’). The sweet version is better known and nowadays made with prunes, preferably Pruneaux d’Agen. Easy to make and always a pleasure to serve.

Mirabelle (plums) are a speciality from the French region Alsace-Lorraine. The fruit is relatively small, sweet and full of flavour. Often used to make jam or eaux-de-vie. The season is fairly short (a few weeks in August and September only). When you see Mirabelle plums at your greengrocers, then don’t hesitate and buy them. Enjoy them as they are or turn them into Far Aux Mirabelles!

What You Need
  • 80 grams of Plain Flour
  • 2 organic Eggs
  • 50 grams of Sugar
  • 350 ml Milk
  • 15 grams of Butter
  • 500 grams of Mirabelle Plums
  • 15 ml Eaux-de-Vie de Mirabelle (optional)
  • Butter to coat dish
What You Do

Set the oven to 170 °C or 340 °F traditional. Wash, dry and halve the Mirabelle plums. Discard the pits. Add butter to the milk and heat until lukewarm and butter dissolved. Combine flour and sugar. Add one beaten egg and mix. Add the second beaten egg and mix. Add the milk and whisk until you have a smooth batter.  Coat the baking dish with butter, add the halved Mirabelle plums and the batter. After 40 minutes increase the heat to 190 °C or 375 °F and fan forced for 5 minutes. We prefer the far to be beautiful golden brown even though it seems that a Far Breton is supposed to be much more browned.
Enjoy the far lukewarm as a dessert or the next day cold with a cup of coffee. No need to dust with icing sugar. 

PS

Perhaps you recognize the combination of ingredients. The Far Breton is indeed similar to Clafoutis and Flaugnarde. Far is supposed to be denser than Clafoutis, originates from Bretagne and is made with prunes, whereas Clafoutis originates from the Limousin and is made with cherries. And Flaugnarde? With apricots?
Oh well, let’s simple enjoy these easy to make and delicious desserts.

Slice of Far Aux Mirabelles ©cadwu
Far Aux Mirabelles ©cadwu
Mirabelle Plums ©cadwu

Hazelnut & Raisin Bread

22 August 2024

Two or three times per week we enjoy the taste of fresh home-made no-knead bread. The crust, the flavours, the aromas! And how about the singing of the bread when it’s just out of the oven? Baking your own bread is such a pleasure.

Our recipe for no-knead bread is based on a recipe published by Jim Lahey, owner of Sullivan Street Bakery, New York. It was published in the New York Times in 2006 and can also be found in his excellent book My Bread. The process is time consuming (it’s 24 hours from start to finish) but not labour intensive. The recipe is based on slow-rise fermentation. With only 1 gram of instant yeast in combination with 18+3 hours of rest the yeast will do a wonderful job. The dough will be perfect. And kneading, as you would expect, is not required.

Normally we bake our bread with blue poppy seed and brown linseed. Today we bake a luxurious bread with hazelnuts, raisins and cinnamon.

What You Need
  • 200 grams of Whole Grain Flour
  • 230 grams of Plain White Flour
  • 1 gram Instant Yeast
  • 70 grams Hazelnuts (peeled and roasted)
  • 130 grams Raisins
  • 2,5 grams Cinnamon
  • 4 grams Salt (this is less than usual, most recipes for bread would suggest 8 grams)
  • 345 grams Water
  • Additional Flour
  • Bran
What You Do

Mix flour, yeast, cinnamon and salt. Add water and create one mixture. Let rest in a covered bowl for 18 hours.
Soak the raisins for 10 minutes in warm water. Remove excess water. Cover your worktop with a generous amount of flour. Remove the dough from bowl and flatten somewhat. Cover the middle third with one quarter of the raisins and hazelnuts. Fold the lower third on top of the middle third. Cover with the second quarter. Fold the top third on top the the middle third. Cover the centre with a quarter of the raisins and hazelnuts. Fold the right part on top of the centre. Ad the last quarter of raisins and hazelnuts on top of the centre and fold the fold the left part on top of it. Dust with additional flour and let rest on a towel dusted with flour and bran for 3 hours. Check that the pot (and the handles!) can be used in a really hot oven. Transfer the pot to the oven and heat your oven to 235˚ Celsius or 450˚ Fahrenheit. Put the dough, seam side up, in the pot, close it and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and bake for 15 minutes or until it is nicely browned. Let cool on a wire rack for at least an hour before slicing it. Enjoy with a generous amount of butter.

Hazelnut & Raisin Bread ©cadwu
Hazelnut & Raisin Bread ©cadwu

Watercress Soup

15 August 2024

Watercress tastes fresh and somewhat peppery. In this soup we combine it with chervil and dill (hints of anise) making it an even more uplifting, delicious soup. Adding cream or olive oil is optional. Easy to make, quick and vegan!

What You Need
  • 50 grams Watercress
  • 10 grams Chervil
  • Some Dill
  • Small Shallot
  • 1 Clove of Garlic
  • 1 Small Potato
  • Butter
  • Black Pepper
  • Vegetable Stock
  • (Double) Cream (optional)
  • Excellent Olive Oil (optional)
What You Do

Chop the shallot and the garlic. Peel and chop the potato. In a heavy iron pan heat the butter, glaze the shallot and later add the potato and garlic. Allow to simmer for a few minutes. In the meantime, remove the coarse stems of the watercress and the chervil. When the potato is done, remove some of the stock and blender this with the watercress, the dill and the chervil until very smooth. Transfer back to the pan and leave on low heat for a few minutes. Press the mixture through a sieve and continue on low heat for a few minutes. You could add some excellent olive oil or some double cream. If you add cream, make sure you give the soup a few more minutes, otherwise your soup will have the typical milky taste of cream.

PS

Many recipes for watercress soup suggest smoothing the mixture (including the potatoes) with a blender. Please don’t be tempted to do so! It will give the soup a gluey texture, not nice at all. Our method is perhaps a bit more work, but the result is much, much tastier.

Watercress Soup ©cadwu
Watercress Soup ©cadwu

Shiitake Salad

8 August 2024

We love mushrooms and are always keen to explore new recipes and ideas. This recipe for a salad is very much about the nutty flavour and the moist texture of the shiitake. An easy to make and delicious, aromatic salad with lots of umami and citrus.
We used Grains of Paradise (also known as Maniguette or Awisa). This West African spice was introduced in Europe in the 14th or 15th century as a substitute for black pepper. We like its peppery, citrusy flavour.

Wine Pairing

The fish sauce brings briny, caramel-like flavours with obviously some fishiness. The cilantro is very present with notes of citrus and pepper. The result is an aromatic, umami rich salad, best enjoyed with a glass of Pinot Blanc. We decided to open a bottle produced by Dr. Loosen. The winery was founded over 200 years ago and is well known for its Riesling and other excellent wines from the German Mosel region. In general, you’re looking for a white wine that is fruity and easy to drink, with gently acidity and some minerality.

What You Need
  • 150 grams of Shiitake
  • 2 cloves of Garlic
  • Olive Oil
  • Rice Vinegar
  • Thai Fish Sauce
  • Grains Of Paradise (Maniguette) or Black Pepper and Lemon Juice
  • Cilantro (Coriander)
  • Smoked Breast of Duck
What You Do

Remove the stems of the shiitake (they are chewy and fibrous). If necessary, clean the caps with kitchen paper. Slice. Finely chop the garlic. Warm a heave iron skillet, add olive oil and gently fry the shiitake. After a few minutes add the garlic. Keep on medium/low heat for a few minutes. Combine olive oil, rice vinegar and fish sauce. Ground grains of paradise and add to the dressing. The grains of paradise can be replaced with freshly grounded black pepper and a few drops of lemon juice. Taste the dressing and adjust. Add the shiitake to the dressing and mix. Allow to cool somewhat. Add a generous amount of chopped cilantro. Mix again. Garnish with slices of smoked duck breast.

PS

More mushroom recipes on our mushroom page.

Shiitake Salad ©cadwu
Grains of Paradise (seed pods) ©cadwu
Shiitake ©Sharon Mollerus

Cod in Green

1 August 2024

“Perhaps you would like to try ling? It’s similar to cod, perhaps more delicate.” We’re always happy to try something new, so we said “yes” to our fishmonger and bought a nice slice of ling. It’s an impressive fish with a length of 200 cm and its weight can be 30 kg. There is no data available on the size of the population per region because it’s a solitary, deep water species, which makes it a ‘fish to avoid’.
We prepared the ling and unfortunately it wasn’t our most successful kitchen experiment. Taste and texture were very good, the combination with blue cheese didn’t work and frying ling turned out to be a mistake. Next time we will stew ling in a green sauce, like Paling in ‘t Groen (Eel in Green or Anguilles au vert) we decided.
A few days later.
“We would like to have some ling please.”
“Sorry, no ling today.”
“Ah, pity! What would you suggest as an alternative?”
“Cod!”, our fishmonger said, smiling.
Since eel is critically endangered, we decided to make Cod in Green.

Wine Pairing

Lots of fresh, aromatic flavours in this dish, making it light and uplifting. We would suggest a glass of Chardonnay, perhaps one with a touch of oak. We decided to open a bottle of Coteaux Varois en Provence rosé, produced by Estandon and made with grenache, cinsault en syrah grapes. Fruity, a touch spice and with a great finish.

What You Need
  • For the Sauce
    • Watercress
    • Parsley
    • Chervil
    • Dill
    • 50 ml Double Cream
    • 100 ml Fish Fond
    • 65 ml Noilly Prat
  • For the Fish
    • 200 grams of Cod
    • Butter
What You Do
  1. Combine cream, fond and Noilly Prat
  2. Stir well and reduce until it thickens. This may take 15 minutes or more
  3. In parallel remove the stems of a generous amount of watercress and chervil. Be less generous with the parsley. Add some dill
  4. Poach this for 20 seconds in boiling water
  5. Remove and transfer to an ice bath
  6. Drain and blender until you have a smooth, green mixture
  7. When the sauce starts to thicken, fry the cod in butter until it’s nicely browned and opaque
  8. Four minutes before the cod is ready, add the green mixture to the reduced sauce and warm through and through
  9. Do not boil
  10. Add the sauce to a deep plate and serve the fish on top of the sauce. Garnish with chervil
Cod in Green ©cadwu
Cod in Green ©cadwu

Oyster Mushrooms with Parmesan Cheese

25 July 2024

An easy to make and delicious vegetarian starter with only five ingredients! We combine oyster mushrooms with Parmesan cheese, nutmeg, black pepper and olive oil. The oyster mushroom is a common, edible and often cultivated mushroom. Its texture is firm, meaty and moist, its taste mild, nutty and slightly creamy. Some website mention flavours like anise and seafood, flavours we don’t recognize.

The other main ingredient is nutmeg. Its sweetness and spiciness combine very well with Parmesan cheese and the oyster mushroom. The dish looks simple and we were tempted to add some greens, but the result is intense, tasty and uplifting.

Wine Pairing

We enjoyed our mushrooms with a glass of white wine made with Verdejo and Sauvignon grapes byPiqueras Almansa. This is a dry white wine with lots of aroma and a slightly spicy, fruity aroma. A balanced wine that goes very well with the various flavours in this dish. In general, we would suggest a white wine with clear aromas, not too much acidity and present flavours.

What You Need
  • 200 grams of Oyster Mushrooms
  • Olive Oil
  • Freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
  • Freshly grated Nutmeg
  • Black Pepper
What You Do

Grate a generous amount of Parmesan cheese, add some black pepper and nutmeg. Combine and taste. The nutmeg should be clearly present. Add the olive oil to a heavy iron skillet, quickly fry the mushrooms, sprinkle with cheese and transfer the skillet to the oven. Allow to grill for 8 – 10 minutes. Divide in two and serve on a hot plate. You could serve it with some crusted bread.  

Other Recipes

Our favorite with oyster mushrooms is Alla Milanese. Another tasty recipe is this salad.

Fresh Oyster Mushrooms ©cadwu
Oyster Mushrooms with Parmesan Cheese ©cadwu