Autumn mushrooms with borlotti beans & cavolo nero
‘The first restaurant kitchen I worked in was in Florence, 25 years ago,’ says Emily Lampson. ‘Beccofino has since closed, but the inspiration stays with me. The most valuable lesson I learned there was respect for ingredients – sourcing the best local produce and using herbs to bring a dish together. When I returned to the UK, I went straight into Heston Blumenthal’s kitchen at The Fat Duck, before opening The Kingham Plough in the Cotswolds. There, I found myself reverting to Italy when sourcing cheese, meat, fruit and vegetables. We were fortunate – there was plenty to choose from. Now, I cook at the barn on our farm in Dorset, hosting supper clubs and private events.’
As the leaves turn and we start to long for more comforting dishes, this recipe really fits the bill.
It can be a meal in itself, but would also work well served alongside a slow-roasted shoulder of lamb.
MAY WE SUGGEST: More autumnal Italian recipes by Emily Lampson
Recipe information
Yield
Recipe serves 6
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
If using dried borlotti beans, soak them in cold water overnight, making sure that there is plenty of water covering them.
Step 2
Strip the leaves off the cavolo nero stems. Discard the stems, and wash and roughly chop the leaves. Make sure there is no mud or tough stems on the mushrooms and trim as needed.
Step 3
Heat the light olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pan. Add the garlic and, as soon as it is sizzling in the oil, stir in the mushrooms. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Once the mushrooms have soaked up all the oil, stir in 10g of the butter. As soon as the mushrooms are golden, remove them from the pan and set aside.
Step 4
Now use the same heavy-bottomed pan to cook the shallots. Add 1tbsp olive oil to the pan, then add the shallots and the remaining 40g butter. Cook slowly for 10 minutes, until the shallots are deeply golden and soft. Add the sage and the rosemary, and cook for 1 minute more.
Step 5
Drain the borlotti beans and add them to the pan with the cavolo nero. Pour over the stock and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the beans are just tender.
Step 6
Return the mushrooms to the pan. Bring to the boil quickly, then take off the heat. Season to taste and serve topped with parsley.
