These martini mushrooms make for a very easy, but also extremely satisfying, lunch for two. It’s the truffle oil which really lifts it, but it needs to be a good quality one or you will negate the lovely earthy, snuffy effect.

Recipe for Magic Martini Mushrooms on Sweet toasted bread

Serves 2

Ingredients

• olive oil – a couple of tablespoons – plus a little more
• 250g/9 oz mushrooms – chestnut are good, but any will do.
• 80ml/⅓ cup of pink Martini
• smoked salt and Indonesian long pepper (the earthiness of this goes especially well with the mushrooms)
• 120ml/½ cup double cream
• a sweetish bread roll, or slices. I used an Italian bread made with ricotta, but you could use brioche which is sweeter.
• 2 tsps truffle oil – the type that’s seen a real truffle
• a few chives (and some chive flowers if you can get them)

Method

1. If you are using rolls, preheat the oven to 210ºC.
2. Pour the oil into a large frying pan and warm it gently.
3. Take the stems off the mushrooms, cut off the earthy end, and slice into two, add to the frying pan.
4. Peel the mushrooms and chop very roughly. Add to the pan. Add the salt and pepper.
5. Cut the roll horizontally in half, pour a little olive oil over the cut surfaces, put on a baking sheet and put in the oven for about five minutes.
6. Turn the heat under the frying pan up a little and add the Martini. Let it reduce to a loose, sticky coating. Make your toast, if it’s slices of bread that you’re using.
7. Turn the heat down a bit, and add the cream.
8. Put a piece of toast, or half the toasted roll, onto each plate. Pour the mixture over, snip over some chives, and drizzle over some truffle oil. Serve immediately.

Music to cook to

Coldplay sing Magic