Silky Mushroom Bolognese
This is a hearty winter dish.
This is came about when I really wanted to create a luscious bolognese but didn’t want to use lentils or meat. It has evolved in the meantime to include a lamb chop which melts into shreds and added a luxurious silky and richness but originally the recipe didn’t include it. So you can go both ways.
Serves roughly 6
Ingredients:
1 medium onion, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 tbsp avocado oil/ghee/lard
2 tbsp butter/ghee
2 bay leafs
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
120ml/ 0.5 cup wine
1 tsp rock/ himalayan salt
Fresh ground pepper to taste
2 tbsp tomato puree
0.5-1.5 tbsp capers*
8 button mushrooms
2 portobello mushrooms
2/3stalks fresh thyme or 2 tsp dried
2-4 sun-dried tomatoes
1 lamb chop preferably with bone and fat rind*
2x 400ml tinned tomatoes, roughly chopped
*optional
Instructions:
Using a large sauce pan begin by frying to onion for 2-4min, until it becomes soft & glossy.
Add the celery, carrots and garlic and fry for another 2-3min.
Meanwhile, blitz the mushrooms in a food processor so that you get a ‘mince’ consistency.
Now transfer the fried vegetables to a bowl.
Add half mushroom mince to the pan along with 1 tbsp butter, 0.5tsp salt & half the thyme, and allow the mushrooms to sweat, this takes about 3-5 min.
Then add this to the fried veg and repeat with the second batch of mushrooms mince.
Now return the fried veggies & mushrooms to the pan, add the wine, pepper and if using the lamb add this now too. Allow to simmer for 1min.
Add the capers, sun-dried tomatoes tomato puree, and tinned tomatoes.
Allow to simmer for 40min-1hour on a very low heat.
If you added the lamb then pull out the rind of fat & using a fork mash and break up the lamb so that it is distribute it evenly.
Serve with pasta, a drizzle of olive oil and a dusting of Parmesan. Another serving option is to pour it over a cooked sweet potato and adding some sour cream or crumbled feta.
