Carpaccio of mushroom with red onion marmalade

Vegetarian Recipe

Serves 4 (as a starter)

Ingredients

4 large, clean field mushrooms
Olive oil
1 tbsp toasted pine nuts
Fresh parmesan cheese

For the dressing:

For the red onion marmalade:

Method

• Preheat oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
• If the mushrooms are very dirty and brushing will not help, (do not be tempted to wash them), peel away the skin. Using a very sharp knife, slice the mushrooms as evenly and thinly as possible. Place the slices on a greased baking sheet and drizzle lightly with oil and black pepper. Place in the oven for 4-6 minutes or untill the mushrooms are cooked. Allow to cool.
• Now start the onion marmalade. Heat a little olive oil in a pot and add the onions. Sprinkle with salt to bring out the juices and stir in the thyme. Cook over a medium heat, but do not colour, for 3-4 minutes. Stir in the sugar and cook for a further 2-3 minutes. Add the red wine and continue to cook until the wine has reduced and the onions start to look syrupy. Turn off the heat and transfer the marmalade to a dish to cool. (This will keep for 2 weeks in the fridge).
• Stir together all the ingredients for the dressing, seasoning to taste.
• To assemble the dish, divide the mushroom slices between the four plates, laying the slices close together but not on top of one another. Sprinkle with the dressing, making sure that each slice is dressed. Add some pine nuts for texture. Using a knife, pare little shavings of parmesan over the mushrooms. Finally, add a neat dessert spoon of onion marmalade to the side of the plate and garnish with some fresh herbs.