Funghi sott’olio with celery and parmesan

Rosie Mackean
·3-min read
Funghi sott'olio with celery and parmesan
The mushrooms need 24 hours to pickle, so make them ahead of time - Sam Harris

Funghi sott’olio are lightly pickled mushrooms that are then preserved “under oil”. They work just as well here with the celery and Parmesan, providing a savoury, sour kick and a ready-made dressing.

Make ahead

The mushrooms have to be made ahead (allow 24 hours’ pickling time), so do that and don’t worry about the rest until dinner. The mushrooms keep for up to one week in the fridge.

Substitutions

Swap celery for a mix of rocket (arugula) and sugar snap peas. I love the mushrooms on a dollop of good ricotta – the creaminess works well with the piquant pickle. Mix up the mushrooms. Enoki and pioppini are lovely pickled, as well as girolles or chanterelles if you can get your hands on them.

Scaling

I like to double the recipe and save half to have with scrambled eggs or on pizza. If you want to reduce the recipe, it may be worth using just one type of mushroom, as the quantities are small.

Overview

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

8 mins

Serves

6

Ingredients

For the pickled mushrooms

  • 200g shiitake mushrooms, cut into small pieces

  • 200g baby button mushrooms, quartered

  • 300g chestnut mushrooms, sliced

  • 300ml white wine vinegar

  • 6½ tbsp caster sugar

  • 10g dried porcini mushrooms

  • 2 tsp black peppercorns, crushed

  • 200ml extra virgin olive oil

  • 8 fresh bay leaves

  • peel from 1 lemon

  • 2 garlic cloves, bashed

  • 1 red chilli, halved lengthways

  • small handful of finely chopped parsley

For the salad

  • 6 sticks of celery, shaved or very thinly sliced

  • 70g parmesan cheese, shaved

  • focaccia, to serve

Method

Step 1

Use a damp cloth or kitchen paper to clean any muck off 200g shiitake mushrooms (cut into small pieces) and 200g quartered baby button mushrooms, and trim any soily feet.

Step 2

In a large saucepan, combine 300ml white wine vinegar, 6½ tbsp caster sugar, 10g dried porcini mushrooms and 2 tsp crushed black peppercorns with 2 tsp salt and 700ml cold water. Bring to the boil. When the pickling liquid is boiling, add the mushrooms. Turn down the heat and simmer for 7 minutes.

Step 3

Remove from the heat and then drain the mushrooms, reserving a couple of tablespoons of the pickling liquid.

Step 4

In a container large enough to fit all the mushrooms, mix the reserved pickling liquid with 200ml extra virgin olive oil, 8 fresh bay leaves, peel from 1 lemon, 2 bashed garlic cloves and 1 red chilli (halved lengthways), and then add the mushrooms. Cover the container with a lid and chill in the fridge for at least 24 hours.

Step 5

Make sure you take the mushrooms out of the fridge before you want to serve them, so they come to room temperature.

Step 6

Remove the bay leaves, lemon peel, garlic and chilli, and mix in a small handful of finely chopped parsley.

Step 7

Spread the mushrooms out over a couple of plates and then tuck in pieces of shaved celery (from 6 sticks) and a few shavings of 70g parmesan cheese.

Step 8

Finish with plenty more parmesan shavings on top. I love to eat this with warm focaccia.

Good Time Cooking: Show-stopping menus for easy entertaining by Rosie MacKean (Pavilion Books, £26)

Photography by Sam Harris.

Latest stories