Yotam Ottolenghis Spicy Mushroom Lasagne Food

YOTAM OTTOLENGHI'S SPICY MUSHROOM LASAGNE

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 230°C fan. 2. Put the chestnut and oyster mushrooms into the large bowl of a food processor in three or four batches and pulse each batch until finely chopped (or finely chop everything by hand). Toss the chopped mushrooms in a large bowl with 3 tablespoons of oil and 1 teaspoon of salt and spread out on a large, 40cm x 35cm parchment-lined, rimmed baking tray. Bake for 30 minutes near the top of the oven, stirring three times throughout, until the mushrooms are golden-brown; they will have reduced in volume significantly. Set aside. Reduce the oven temperature to 200°C fan. 3. Meanwhile, combine the dried mushrooms, chillies and hot stock in a large bowl and set aside to soak for half an hour. Strain the liquid into another bowl, squeezing as much liquid from the mushrooms as possible to get about 340ml: if you have any less, top up with water. Very roughly chop the rehydrated mushrooms (you want some chunks) and finely chop the chillies. Set the stock and mushrooms aside separately. 4. Put the onion, garlic and carrot into the food processor and pulse until finely chopped (or finely chop everything by hand). Heat 60ml of oil in a large sauté pan or pot on a medium-high heat. Once hot, add the onion mixture and fry for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden. Pulse the tomatoes in the food processor until finely chopped (or finely chop by hand), then add to the pan along with the tomato paste, 1½ teaspoons of salt and 1¾ teaspoons of freshly cracked black pepper. Cook for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the rehydrated mushrooms and chillies and the roasted mushrooms and cook for 9 minutes, resisting the urge to stir: you want the mushrooms to be slightly crisp and browned on the bottom. Stir in the reserved stock and 800ml of water and, once simmering, reduce the heat to medium and cook for about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until you get the consistency of a ragù. Stir in 100ml of the cream and simmer for another 2 minutes, then remove from the heat. 5. Combine both cheeses and both herbs in a small bowl. To assemble the lasagne, spread one-fifth of the sauce in the bottom of a round 28cm baking dish (or a 30cm x 20cm rectangular dish), then top with a fifth of the cheese mixture, followed by a layer of lasagne sheets, broken to fit where necessary. Repeat these layers three more times in that order, and finish with a final layer of sauce and cheese: that's five layers of sauce and cheese and four layers of pasta. 6. Drizzle over 1 tablespoon of cream and 1 tablespoon of oil, then cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil, increase the temperature to 220°C fan and bake for another 12 minutes, turning the dish round halfway. Turn the oven to the grill setting and grill for a final 2 minutes, until the edges are brown and crisp. Set aside to cool for 5 or so minutes, then drizzle over the remaining tablespoon of cream and oil. Sprinkle over the remaining parsley, finish with a good grind of pepper and serve.

MUSHROOM AND SPINACH FRITTATA

Steps:

• Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat in a heavy 10 or 12-inch nonstick skillet and add the mushrooms. Cook, stirring or tossing often, until they begin to sweat and soften, 3 to 5 minutes. Add salt, pepper and the garlic, and stir together until the garlic is fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute. Add the spinach, a handful at a time and stir until wilted. Turn up the heat and let any excess liquid evaporate from the pan, then remove from the heat. Taste and adjust seasoning.
• Beat the eggs in a large bowl (you can do this while the mushrooms are cooking). Stir in salt and pepper to taste, the milk, and the mushroom and spinach mixture. Add the Parmesan if desired.
• Heat the remaining olive oil over medium-high heat in the skillet until it feels hot when you hold your hand about 1 inch above it. Drop a bit of egg into the pan and if it sizzles and cooks at once, the pan is ready. Pour in the egg mixture, scraping all of it in with a rubber spatula. Swirl the pan to distribute the eggs and filling evenly over the surface. Shake the pan gently, tilting it slightly with one hand while lifting up the edges of the frittata with the spatula in your other hand, to let the eggs run underneath during the first few minutes of cooking. Once a few layers of egg have cooked turn the heat down to low, cover (use a pizza pan if you don't have a lid that will fit your skillet), and cook 10 minutes, shaking the pan gently every once in a while. From time to time remove the lid and loosen the bottom of the omelet with a spatula, tilting the pan, so that the bottom doesn't burn. It will however turn golden. The eggs should be just about set though there will be a layer on the top that is not.
• Meanwhile, heat the broiler. Uncover the pan and place under the broiler, not too close to the heat, for 1 to 2 minutes, until the top sets, watching very carefully to make sure the top doesn't burn (at most, it should brown very slightly and puff under the broiler). Remove from the heat, shake the pan to make sure the frittata isn't sticking and allow it to cool for at least 5 minutes and for up to 15. It can be a little runny in the middle if you like it that way. Loosen the edges with a spatula. Carefully slide from the pan onto a large round platter. Cut into wedges. Serve hot, warm, room temperature, or cold.

SPICY MUSHROOM LASAGNE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 240C/220C Fan/Gas 9.
• Put the chestnut and oyster mushrooms into a food processor in three or four batches and pulse each batch until finely chopped (or finely chop everything by hand). Toss the chopped mushrooms in a large bowl with 3 tablespoons of oil and 1 teaspoon of salt.
• Line a 40x35cm/16x14in baking tray with baking paper and spread out the mushroom mixture on the tray. Bake for 30 minutes near the top of the oven, stirring three times during cooking, until the mushrooms are golden brown. They will have reduced in volume significantly. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, combine the dried mushrooms, chillies and stock in a large bowl and set aside to soak for 30 minutes. Strain the liquid into another bowl, squeezing as much liquid from the mushrooms as possible to get about 340ml/11fl oz. If you have any less, top up with water. Very roughly chop the rehydrated mushrooms (you want some chunks) and finely chop the chillies. Set the stock and mushroom mixture aside separately.
• Put the onion, garlic and carrot in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped (or finely chop everything by hand). Heat 4 tablespoons of oil in a large casserole over a medium-high heat. Once hot, add the onion mixture and fry for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden.
• Pulse the tomatoes in the food processor until finely chopped (or finely chop by hand), then add to the pan along with the tomato purée, 1½ teaspoons of salt and 1¾ teaspoons of black pepper. Cook for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the rehydrated mushrooms and chillies and the roasted mushrooms and cook for 9 minutes, resisting the urge to stir: you want the mushrooms to be slightly crisp and browned on the bottom. Stir in the reserved stock and 800ml/1½ pint of water and, once simmering, reduce the heat to medium and cook for about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until you get the consistency of a ragù. Stir in 100ml/3½fl oz of the cream and simmer for another 2 minutes, then remove from the heat.
• Preheat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7. Combine both cheeses and both herbs in a small bowl.
• To assemble the lasagne, spread one-fifth of the tomato sauce in the bottom of a round 28cm/11in baking dish (or a 30x20cm/12x8in rectangular dish). Top with one-fifth of the cheese mixture, followed by a layer of lasagne sheets, broken to fit where necessary. Repeat these layers three more times in that order, and finish with a final layer of sauce and cheese. You will have five layers of sauce and cheese and four layers of pasta.
• Drizzle over 1 tablespoon of cream and 1 tablespoon of oil, then cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil, increase the temperature to 240C/220C Fan/Gas 9 and bake for another 12 minutes, turning the dish round halfway. Turn the oven to the grill setting and grill for a final 2 minutes, until the edges are brown and crisp. Set aside to cool for 5 or so minutes, then drizzle over the remaining tablespoon of cream and oil. Sprinkle over the remaining parsley, finish with a good grind of pepper and serve.

SPICY MUSHROOM LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450°F (220°C). Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a food processor, working in 3 or 4 batches, add the button mushrooms and oyster mushrooms and pulse each batch until finely chopped (or finely chop everything by hand).
• In a large bowl, toss the chopped mushrooms with the oil and salt. Spread out on the prepared baking sheet.
• Roast near the top of the oven, stirring 3 or so times throughout, until the mushrooms are golden brown and have reduced in volume significantly, 30 to 45 minutes. Let cool.
• Decrease the oven temperature to 425°F (200°C).
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine all the dried mushrooms, the chiles, and hot stock, and let soak for 30 minutes. Strain the liquid into another bowl, squeezing as much liquid from the mushrooms as possible to get just under 1 1/2 cups-if you have any less, top up with water.
• Very roughly chop the rehydrated mushrooms (you want some chunks) and finely chop the chile peppers. Set the stock and mushrooms aside separately.
• In the food processor, combine the onion, garlic, and carrot, and pulse until finely chopped or finely chop everything by hand.
• In a large sauté pan or pot over medium-high heat, warm 4 tablespoons oil. Once hot, add the onion mixture and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and golden, about 8 minutes.
• In the food processor, pulse the tomatoes until finely chopped or finely chop by hand and then add them to the pan along with the tomato paste, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 7 minutes.
• Add the rehydrated mushrooms and chiles and the roasted mushrooms and cook for 9 minutes, stirring only once during the cooking. Resist the urge to stir more frequently; you want the mushrooms to be slightly crisp and browned on the bottom.
• Stir in the water and reserved stock and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until you get the consistency of a ragù, about 25 minutes.
• Stir in 7 tablespoons of the cream and simmer for 2 minutes more, then remove from the heat.
• In a small bowl, combine both cheeses, the basil, and 1/2 cup parsley.
• Spread 1/5 of the sauce in the bottom of a round 12-inch (30cm) baking dish or a 9-by-13-inch (23-by-33-cm) rectangular dish, then top with 1/5 of the cheese mixture, followed by a layer of lasagna sheets, broken to fit where necessary. Repeat these layers 3 more times in that order. Finish with a final layer of sauce and cheese; that's 5 layers of sauce, 5 layers of cheese, and 4 layers of pasta.
• Drizzle with 1 tablespoon cream and 1 tablespoon olive oil, then cover with aluminum foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil, increase the temperature to 450°F (220°C), and bake for 12 minutes more, rotating the dish halfway through.
• Turn the oven to the broil setting and broil until the edges are brown and crisp, about 2 minutes.
• Set aside to cool for 5 minutes or so, then drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon cream and 1 tablespoon oil. Sprinkle with the 1 teaspoon parsley and finish with a good grind of pepper. Serve immediately.

YOTAM OTTOLENGHI'S SPICY MUSHROOM LASAGNE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 230°C on the fan setting.Put the chestnut and oyster mushrooms into the large bowl of a food processor in three or four batches, pulsing each batch until finely chopped (or finely chop everything by hand).Toss the chopped mushrooms in a large bowl with 3 tablespoons of oil and 1 teaspoon of salt then spread out on a 40cm x 35cm parchment-lined rimmed baking tray.Bake for 30 minutes near the top of the oven, stirring three times throughout, until the mushrooms are golden-brown; they will have reduced in volume significantly. Set aside.Reduce the oven temperature to 200°C on the fan setting.Meanwhile, combine the dried mushrooms, chillies and hot stock in a large bowl. Set aside to soak for half an hour.Strain the liquid into another bowl, squeezing as much liquid from the mushrooms as possible toget about 340ml: if you have any less, top up with water.Very roughly chop the rehydrated mushrooms (you want some chunks) and finely chop the chillies. Set the stock and mushrooms aside separately.Put the onion, garlic and carrot into the food processor and pulse until finely chopped (or finely chop everything by hand).Heat 60ml of oil in a large sauté pan or pot on a medium-high heat. Once hot, add the onionmixture and fry for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden.Pulse the tomatoes in the food processor until finely chopped (or finely chop by hand), then add to the pan along with the tomato paste, 1½ teaspoons of salt and 1¾ teaspoons of freshly cracked black pepper.Cook for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.Add the rehydrated mushrooms and chillies and the roasted mushrooms and cook for 9 minutes, resisting the urge to stir: you want the mushrooms to be slightly crisp and browned on the bottom.Stir in the reserved stock and 800ml of water and, once simmering, reduce the heat to medium and cook for about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until you get the consistency of a ragù.Stir in 100ml of the cream and simmer for another 2 minutes, then remove from the heat.Combine both cheeses and both herbs in a small bowl.To assemble the lasagne, spread one-fifth of the sauce in the bottom of a round 28cm baking dish (or a 30cm x 20cm rectangular dish), then top with a fifth of the cheese mixture, followed by a layer of lasagne sheets, broken to fit where necessary. Repeat these layers three more times in that order, then finish with a final layer of sauce and cheese: that's five layers of sauce and cheese, and four layers of pasta.Drizzle over 1 tablespoon of cream and 1 tablespoon of oil then cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes.Remove the foil, increase the temperature to 220°C fan and bake for another 12 minutes, turning the dish round halfway.Turn the oven to the grill setting and grill for a final 2 minutes, until the edges are brown and crisp.Set aside to cool for 5 or so minutes, then drizzle over the remaining tablespoon of cream and oil.Sprinkle over the remaining parsley and finish with a good grind of pepper.Extracted from Ottolenghi FLAVOUR by Yotam Ottolenghi and Ixta Belfrage (Penguin Random House Publishers). Spicy mushroom lasagne photo by Lousie Hagger.