The Sunday Times Magazine - UK (2022-01-23)

38 • The Sunday Times Magazine

The Dish

SHARE AND SAVE

You can share and

save recipes from

our digital editions

T

he recipes on these pages

are about indulgence and

ease, having something quick and

cheering to look forward to at the

end of a cold, dark day. I don’t

claim to be reinventing the wheel

here — it’s steak and chips, fried

chicken and creamy mushroom

dumplings, after all — but they

rely on good-quality meat and

dairy (my motto is buy the best

you can afford, and don’t eat it

too often), the clever use of

flavour-packed pantry ingredients,

and shop-bought cheats such as

gnocchi and oven chips to make

our lives easier.

Paris is one of my favourite

places to be in January, when the

short, frosty days can be spent

diving in and out of cafés, bistros

and wine bars for warmth and

sustenance. Alas, no chance of

a visit this year, but there’s more

than a whiff of the grand brasserie

about these recipes, especially

the steak and chips. The “secret

sauce” is more low-maintenance

than a béarnaise but combines

elements of a few of my favourite

sauces, with green peppercorns

for a tingle of heat, tarragon,

parsley and vermouth for aniseed,

and plenty of butter and crème

fraîche for comfort. But the dried

mushrooms, which I’ve also put

to use in the gnocchi dish, add

Heavy on indulgence but light on preparation, these

cheering dishes are made for cosy nights in

A cheat’s guide to

hearty suppers

Rosie Birkett

1

an earthy body to the sauce that

I think really changes the game.

They are easy to get hold of

these days, either online or in

supermarkets, and I always like

to have a packet in reserve in

my cupboard.

Truffled

mushroom

gnocchi

I love making my own gnocchi

but the shop-bought versions

make this recipe really quick to

throw together. Wild mushrooms

such as chanterelles and black

trompettes are lovely, but

otherwise a mix of chestnut,

shiitake and portobello will do.

SERVES

2 people

INGREDIENTS

10g dried mushrooms

1 tbsp olive oil

4 sprigs of thyme, leaves picked

200g mixed mushrooms, sliced

50g butter

1 shallot, peeled and diced

1 clove of garlic, minced

100ml aromatic white wine

or madeira

4 tbsp full-fat crème fraîche

2-3 tsp truffle oil

1 tbsp chopped parsley or tarragon

250g shop-bought fresh gnocchi

A squeeze of lemon (optional)

Grated parmesan, to serve (optional)

01 Pour 50ml boiling water over

the dried mushrooms, let them

rehydrate for 10 min, then drain

through a sieve, retaining the

stock. Finely chop the mushrooms.

02 Heat the oil in a heavy-

bottomed frying pan over a high

heat. Toss in the thyme, sliced

fresh mushrooms and a pinch of

salt and pepper, then fry for a few

minutes until reduced and

caramelised at the edges but not

stewing. Remove to a plate lined

with kitchen paper to drain, and

keep warm.

03 Return the pan to a medium-

high heat and add the butter and

shallot, frying for a minute or so.

Add the garlic, dried mushrooms,

wine and the mushroom stock,

cooking for a few minutes more

until slightly reduced. Stir in the

crème fraîche, truffle oil and

herbs. Remove from the heat.

04 Cook the gnocchi in salted

boiling water for 2 min or until

they float, then scoop them

into the sauce with a couple of

tablespoons of their cooking

liquid. Stir until creamy and

glossed. Taste for seasoning

and add a little lemon to

sharpen, if you like.

05 Divide between warm plates

and top with the fried mushrooms.

Grind over some black pepper and

finish with a little more truffle oil

and grated parmesan, if desired.

Photographs by Luke Albert