RACHEL LETT
A low carb, vegan alternative to steak. These mushrooms are cooked long and slow in spiced oil. The resulting mushroom is meaty, tender and full of unami.
This recipe is adapted slightly from Ottolenghi — a genius in all things vegetable and spice.
Confit Spiced Mushrooms
SERVES 8
8 medium-large portobello mushrooms
4 garlic cloves peeled
1 small onion peeled and cut into 6 wedges
1 medium tomato cut into 4
1 red chilli
1 teaspoon chilli flakes
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon flakey salt
400ml good quality olive oil
Ingredients
Preheat the oven to 170°C (340°F).
Lay the mushrooms flat, dome side up in a deep baking tray.
Arrange the garlic, onion, tomato and whole chilli around the mushrooms.
Scatter the mushrooms with chilli flakes, coriander, cumin and salt. Pour over the olive oil.
Cover the baking tray with greaseproof paper and tin foil. Bake in the oven for 60 minutes.
Gently turn over the mushrooms and bake covered for another 20 minutes, or until tender (but not falling apart).
Remove the mushrooms and set aside.
Remove the garlic, onion, tomato and chilli into a food processor and blitz until smooth.
Serve the mushrooms with a spoon of sauce and swizzle of spiced olive oil. Enjoy this dish alongside some of your favourite low carb veg and meat, or like the photo above, with some broccoli mash — cauli mash would work great, too!
You will make more oil than you need, so decant surplus into a jar for later — it will brighten steamed veg or grilled meats.