- For the pickled St George’s mushrooms:
- 200g St George’s mushrooms
- 130ml olive oil
- 100ml sherry vinegar
- 5g salt
- For the mushroom ketchup:
- 700g button mushrooms
- Soy sauce to taste
- Sherry vinegar to taste
- 4.5g agar-agar
- For the roasted St George’s mushrooms:
- Olive oil
- 1 clove of garlic, finely sliced
- 200g St George’s mushrooms
- 5G shallot, finely chopped
- 5G chives, finely chopped
- Salt to taste
- For the asparagus mousse:
- 425g asparagus
- 3.5 leaves gelatine
- 425ml double cream
- Fine salt to taste
- For the Croutons:
- 2 slices of sourdough bread – see basics
- 25ml sunflower oil
- 25g salted butter
- Fine salt to taste
- For the Raw salad of asparagus:
- 10 large, or 20 small, asparagus spears
- Lemon juice to taste
- 20g sea salt flakes
St George’s Mushrooms- Asparagus Textures by John Freeman
John Freeman
18th August 2014
St George’s Mushrooms- Asparagus Textures by John Freeman
St George’s mushrooms have got a brilliant flavour, and they’re in season in late March. Asparagus is around at the same time of year, so we paired them together. We make A panna cotta from the asparagus, then add raw slices drizzled in lemon juice and olive oil. We add sautéed and pickled St George’s mushrooms, and little cubes of bread that add texture. on the base is a mushroom ketchup, which has a rounded flavour that lifts the whole dish: perfect for spring and early summer.
SEASONALITY AND AVAILABILITY:
The ingredients in this dish are available in the UK between mid-March and mid-June. When it's in season it's available to pre-order at Restaurant Sat Bains, even if it's not on the current menu, with 5 day’s notice.
FINISHING THE DISH AND PRESENTATION:
We haven't put any emphasis on presentation because we want you to create your own interpretation of the dish. Alternatively you can follow the example shown here.
Ingredients
Method
Pickled St George’s mushrooms:
Mix the oil, vinegar and salt and pour it over the mushrooms.
Leave to pickle for a minimum of 12 hours.
Mushroom ketchup:
Blend the raw mushrooms to a smooth paste, season with the soy and vinegar.
Pour into a cheesecloth or clean tea towel and leave to drain for 24 hours.
Gently squeeze the cloth to get as much juice out as possible.
Measure 300ml of the mushroom juice and bring it to the boil with the agar-agar.
Strain into a container and leave to set.
When completely set, blend and if needed season with a little salt.
Roasted St George’s mushrooms:
Warm a little olive oil and gently fry off the garlic for about 2 minutes. Strain the now flavoured oil into a clean pan and heat.
Add the mushrooms and fry until soft, around 3-4 minutes.
Finish with the shallot and chives and season with a little salt.
Asparagus mousse:
Cut the asparagus into small pieces.
Soak the gelatine in iced cold water for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile bring the cream to the boil, add the gelatine and keep warm. Blanch the asparagus in a pot of boiling salted water for 2 minutes.
Strain into a blender and add the cream.
Blend until smooth and season with a little salt.
Strain into a bowl that is sitting over ice water.
When the mix is cool and starting to set, transfer to a plastic container.
Croutons:
Tear the bread into small bite-size pieces.
Fry in the oil and butter until golden brown and crispy.
Season with the salt. Set aside until needed.
Raw salad of asparagus/ Shave the spears on a mandoline wafer thin. Season with the lemon juice and salt flakes.
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