Fab weekend supper... Mighty mince stuffed flat mushrooms

Sat, 25 Jan, 2025 - 08:02

Thank goodness we are fast approaching the end of January and moving into the month which heralds spring is on its way. It doesn’t quite feel like it but February 1, St. Brigid’s Day, is officially the first day of spring in Ireland. However, I for one am not ready to give up the hearty grub just yet!

This weekend, I’ve got a rustic and robust menu idea that will fill the comfort gap and provide lots of flavour too.

Mince is a versatile and economical choice in meat, and round steak makes good lean mince- ideal for this dish. I’m using big flat mushrooms as holders for the steak mince, which is simply cooked with onions, garlic and herbs in tomato ata, to make a rich sauce. The whole thing is topped generously with grated mature cheddar to finish. This makes a great casual dining supper for the family or if you have friends calling around. The big mushrooms make super bases for the sauce to pool. Serve this with rice and greens of choice or a salad.

For pud, I have the recipe for an old-fashioned favourite I loved as a child and one my mum made every week for Sunday tea. Bakewell Tart originated in the village of Bakewell in Derbyshire in the UK. It has a shortcrust pastry base topped with an almond sponge-style mix and a layer of jam in between. Delicious. Serve it warm with custard in the trad way or let it cool and slice it to have with a cuppa. One of the comfort greats!

MINCE STUFFED FLAT MUSHROOMS

Ingredients (Serves 4)

1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
454g best minced beef
500g pack tomato ata
1 tsp dried mixed herbs
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 large flat mushrooms
Olive oil for drizzling
4 heaped tbsp grated mature cheddar cheese to finish

Method

Fry onion and garlic in a non-stick skillet pan till soft but not browned. Remove from pan and reserve.
Add the mince to the pan and brown all over.
Return onion and garlic to pan and pour over ata and stock.
Add herbs and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Simmer gently for 20 minutes or until mince is cooked and tender.
In the meantime, place mushrooms on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Season.
Cover with foil and place in a pre-heated oven, gas 5 375F 190C for 15 minutes or until tender.
When the mince is cooked, remove from heat and reserve, keeping warm.
Arrange two mushrooms each on four serving plates and spoon over the mince.
Top with grated cheese to finish.
Serve rice and salad or veggies of choice.

BAKEWELL TART

Ingredients (Serves 4-6)

For the pastry:

175g flour
100g butter
1 egg

For the filling:

175g butter, softened
175g caster sugar
3 eggs
175g ground almonds
A few drops almond extract
175g best quality raspberry jam
2 tbsp flaked almonds
Icing sugar for dusting

Method

For the pastry: place flour, butter and egg in a processor and whizz to form a ball. Wrap and chill till firm enough to roll out.
Roll out pastry to line a 20cm fluted loose bottomed flan tin.
Prick the base lightly with a fork, line with parchment and baking beans, and bake blind in a pre-heated oven, Gas 4 350F 180C for about 15 minutes or until the pastry is just starting to set and crisp.
Remove from oven and lift out parchment and beans.
In the meantime, beat butter and sugar till light and fluffy.
Beat in the ground almonds, eggs and almond extract to make a smooth consistency.
Spread the jam over the base of the pastry case.
Spoon the almond mix on top and smooth the surface.
Sprinkle with flaked almonds.
Return to oven and bake for about 30 minutes, or until is golden and firm to the touch. A skewer inserted in the centre should come out clean.
Dust with icing sugar and serve warm with custard, or cold with a cup of tea.

THE WEEKEND GARGLE

It's the last weekend of Dry January and if you’ve managed to stay with the programme - well done! I’m doing nothing to discourage you - so for this hearty dish of mince-stuffed mushrooms, I’m looking to an alcohol-free beer to wash it down! German-made Erdinger beer is well known for its deeply malted and hoppy flavours which in the alcoholic version, make it extremely popular with people who love their beer to be distinct in depth and taste. The alcohol-free version keeps all this familiarity in drinking , but just without the booze, so you just get the full flavours, which match this robust dinner dish a treat. All that malt and hops taste provides a firm backdrop to the richness of the mince in its tomato sauce and the earthy mushrooms. A great match, and a great price too for a carry-out pack of 6 x 330mls bottles, at €7.70 from Supervalu stores.

RECEIPT

Mains

Flat mushrooms x 2 pack of 4 pieces: €2.30

Minced beef x 454g pack:€3.69

Tomato ata 500g pack.62c

Mixed herbs 15g:49c

Mature Cheddar cheese x200g pack: €1.75

Total: €8.85

Dessert

Butter 225g: €2.19

Eggs half dozen: €2.20

Ground almonds 200g: €2.19