Champignons à la grecque

 

Another splendid cold starter, for summer. I love the complicated, earthy flavours which this treatment gives to the mushrooms. 

For two servings.

 Ingredients: 500g field mushrooms; ¾ pint water; ¼ pint olive oil; 1 tsp celery salt; bouquet garni; ½ tsp fennel seed; ½ tsp crushed coriander seed; 1 shallot, finely minced; juice of 1 lemon; 6 black peppercorns. 

Method:

1. Put everything apart from the mushrooms into a pan, bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.
2. Add mushrooms to the pan, trimmed as necessary, and simmer, covered, for a further 10 minutes.
3. Remove the mushrooms to a bowl, raise the heat and reduce the liquid in the pan until only about 1/8 pint remains. Pour this over the mushrooms, allow to cool, and then refrigerate. (You can sieve the liquid before you add it to the mushrooms, but frankly I think this is a bit prissy and risks losing flavour.)

 Serve, and savour.