At this year's Flavours of Echuca Moama Festival, Chef Phil created a wild mushroom salad with local hazelnuts and a sherry dressing. He prepared the dish on stage as part of a cooking demonstration at the event. Here is the recipe if you'd like to re-create it yourself.
ROAST WILD MUSHROOM & VICTORIAN HAZLENUT SALAD
VEGAN
SERVES 2
INGREDIENTS
250g wild mushrooms, sliced. We used slippery jacks foraged from a public pine forest. If you are not experienced with foraging mushrooms, best to use gourmet mushrooms from greengrocers - some wild mushrooms can be deadly if eaten! Shiitake or oyster mushrooms would work well.
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 shallots, diced
Tablespoon nuttelex
Tablespoon hazelnuts, roasted & peeled
2 sprigs each thyme, parsley and tarragon, finely chopped
Mixed baby salad greens
Almond feta, crumbled
Salt & pepper, to taste
DRESSING
Tablespoon sherry vinegar
Five tablespoons olive oil
Half a lemon, juiced
Sourdough croutons. Chef Phil made his own by thinly sliced a loaf of sourdough and baking it in the oven with a drizzle of olive oil until crunchy. Replace the sourdough with gluten free bread to make this dish gluten free.
METHOD
1. Heat a medium size fry pan. Once warm, add nuttelex, shallots and garlic and cook until softened.
2. Add mushrooms and sauté for a few minutes until softened. Turn off heat.
3. Add the chopped herbs to the pan and mix through.
4. Meanwhile, whisk together olive oil, vinegar and lemon juice to create the dressing.
5. Toss salad leaves with the dressing and hazelnuts.
6. To serve, add the warm mushrooms, sourdough croutons and almond feta. Season to taste.
