Name: One-pot wild mushroom and butter bean braise
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 2 tbsp olive oil; 100g smoked streaky bacon, cut into 1cm strips; 1 onion, finely chopped; 2 celery sticks, finely sliced; 250g chestnut mushrooms, thickly sliced; 250g mixed wild mushrooms, larger ones torn into pieces; 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced; 2 tsp thyme leaves; 150ml dry white wine; 2 x 400g tins butter beans, drained and rinsed; 350ml hot chicken stock; 1 tsp Dijon mustard; 100g kale, stalks stripped out, leaves torn; 75ml double cream; 1 small lemon; 15g flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped; 4 thick slices sourdough, toasted

One-pot wild mushroom and butter bean braise

This wild mushroom braise recipe turns a basket of autumn fungi into one smoky pan of butter beans, bacon and greens, ready in under an hour on the hob.

Serves4

Hands-on40 min

Oven15 min

DifficultyEasy

Wild mushrooms reach the greengrocer in September, and a panful of them, torn and fried hard in smoked bacon fat, is what gives this braise its depth. Butter beans provide the body, and the vegetables underneath cook down to a savoury base that asks for little more than toast alongside.

Why it’s so good: Frying the mushrooms in two batches drives off the water they hold, so the sauce tastes deep and woody rather than thin.

Make it easy: A 250g pack of mixed exotic mushrooms from the supermarket stands in when the greengrocer has nothing wild.

Method

Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large deep frying pan or shallow casserole, about 28cm across, over a medium heat. Add the bacon and fry for 5-6 minutes, stirring now and then, until the fat has run and the edges are crisp. Lift it out with a slotted spoon onto a plate, leaving the fat behind.

Add the remaining oil, the onion and the celery to the pan with a pinch of salt. Cook over a medium heat for 8 minutes, stirring often, until soft and glossy but not coloured.

Turn the heat up to high. Add half the chestnut and wild mushrooms and fry for 4-5 minutes, stirring only now and then, until the liquid they release has evaporated and the edges are golden. Tip them onto the plate with the bacon and repeat with the rest. Return the first batch to the pan, add the garlic and thyme and cook for 1 minute more.

Pour in the wine and let it bubble for 2 minutes, scraping the base of the pan, until reduced by half. Add the bacon, butter beans, stock and mustard. Bring to a simmer, then turn the heat down low, cover partly and cook for 12-15 minutes until the sauce has thickened enough to coat the beans.

Crush a ladleful of the beans against the side of the pan to thicken the braise further. Stir in the kale and cook for 4-5 minutes until tender but still dark green. Stir in the cream and warm through for 1 minute without letting it boil. Season with salt and pepper and taste.

Finely grate over the zest of the lemon and add a squeeze of its juice. Scatter with the parsley and serve straight from the pan, with the toasted sourdough for mopping.

Per serving (Serves 4)

Calories

565kcals

Fat

26g (9.7g saturated)

Protein

21g

Carbohydrates

48g (4.4g sugars)

Fibre

10g

Salt

1.9g

Quick wins, tips & make ahead

Brush wild mushrooms clean with a pastry brush or wipe them with damp kitchen paper rather than rinsing them, since they take up water quickly and then steam instead of browning in the pan.

Without wild mushrooms, use 500g chestnut mushrooms and 10g dried porcini soaked in 100ml just-boiled water for 20 minutes, chopping the porcini into the pan and adding the strained soaking liquid along with the stock.

The braise keeps in the fridge for up to 2 days. Food Standards Agency guidance is to cool leftovers quickly, chill them and reheat them only once, until steaming hot throughout; loosen the pan with a splash of stock as it warms.