Wild Mushroom Sauce

'If you go down the woods today be sure of a big surprise....'

Well it it was actually in a field nestling amongst some decomposing horse poo but this tune immediately popped into my head when i unknowingly found what was to become part of my evening meal.

Id say i am a morning person, straight out of bed on my first alarm, clothes flung on and breakfast chomped quickly before a make a hasty exit out of the door, but on these deeply dark and caliginous mornings its hard to keep my mood upbeat. My body is the driving force that pushes me to be at my job regimentally early but my mind and spirit seem to work about an hour behind the rest of  me.
This may be the reason why when i found a precious and mystical patch of wild mushrooms ( at around 6am in the morning ) protruding proudly in the autumn mornings mist i found myself blankly staring at them as if Derren Brown was stood behind me clicking his fingers and transforming me into a hypnotic state waiting like a loyal servant for him to utter his next command.

I studied them for a moment, now I'm no mushroom picker nor do i claim to be a superb scavenger like Ray Mears but i was pretty sure these weren't poisonous and owned a mushroom flavour that no other supermarket variety could stake a claim.
Feeling ( and acting ) suspiciously like a thief i stepped nimbly from toe to toe daring not to make a sound on the dewy patches of grass beneath my feet and swiftly eased the mysterious white caps from the soft soil in which they stood predominantly.
With no means of storage whilst i finished my jobs they stayed safely stored in the soft knitted structure of my wolley hat, comfortably awaiting their final obligatory end.

What ever i decided to cook i knew my wild pickings had to be the ultimate stars, but so many things i had already conqored and eaten - Mushroom soup , mushroom risotto, garlic mushrooms on toast, mushroom galette, mushroom stroganoff etc ( I'm a bit of a fan if you haven't noticed ). The only problem was it had to be a dish that would satisfy the needs of an exceptionally hungry husband who like many men takes a cave man style approach towards food, the more meat, bones and skin the better, my ( what i think as incredibly tantalising) suggestions of a vegetarian option for dinner would surely be squashed, stamped upon and thrown out the door . Although mightily improving R still is under the outdated impression that a meal that doesn't contain something which has had blood pumped round its body and is instead replaced by pulses and lentils is only adequate for hippies and tree huggers.

To appease my red - blooded husband i decided the mushrooms would be gently eased into a sauce which would accompany a roasted skin on chicken breast and some black pudding. My sneaky underlining plan was to make the mushroom sauce the empowering and underestimated ( often side - lined ) Queen of the dish.

I often and whole heartedly enjoy cooking when friends call round for a coffee  none more so than a certain few of my comrades are at loss as to why i am so passionate about cooking and the ingredients in which i use ( it becomes like a cooking version of question night ). This particular evening i was joined by my most puzzled amigos who were slightly disgusted that i was feeding myself and my husband things that not only had i  plucked from the ground myself but i relished in telling them that most of my treasures sat next to some horse dung. A blog is to be later dedicated to these friends as their food - isms are priceless but i couldn't resist adding one now -

' Whats that your making ?'

' Parsnip Puree', I replied

' What are parsnips? Are they the things like carrots but you only get them on Christmas day?'

' Their not just for special occasions, their in season now'

I handed over a teaspoon full to my tentative friend  -

' Mmmm that's nice, its like thick and sticks to the back of my mouth '

There was a sea of adjectives that she could of used - smooth, silky , soft, velvet , mouth pleasingly palatable, but no she used thick, not quite what i was going for but at least a broadened her food horizons for one night.

Wild mushroom sauce

Clean and slice a  large amount of  wild mushrooms ( if you haven't had the fortunate opportunity of finding your own, shop bought mushrooms will be sufficient just try to use a mix of white and chestnut ), leaving some aside to saute separately.
Melt a knob of butter in a pan until foaming, add the mushrooms reduce the heat slightly and allow the mushrooms to cook without moving much, if they release too much water continue  to cook until cooked away,add a finely chopped garlic clove and a handful of chopped flat parsley leaves, add a splash of port and allow to reduce slightly.To finish stir in some double cream ( if your feeling sinful ) or creme fraiche ( if your feeling saintly) and season with some salt and pepper.