Mushrooms Provençal for #RandomRecipeChallenge

This month for the Random Recipe Challenge we are celebrating a big anniversary: number 30. Not 30 years, but still, 30 months is a great accomplishment in the world of blogging.  I wish I could say that I’ve been participating that long but I can say that I have enjoyed every challenge I have accepted.  Rather than choosing a theme, for this anniversary month dashing Dom from +belleau kitchen has set 30 as the target.  Count forward on the bookcase to your 30th cookbook.  Either open to the 30th page (which I did first but there wasn’t a recipe at all) or open randomly (which I did second) and make the first recipe you see.

My 30th book was Richard Olney’s Simple French Food, a classic in food writing circles.  I adore Richard Olney and I adore this book but I have to admit, when I opened it to Mushrooms Provençal, I was a bit disappointed.  Sautéed mushrooms didn’t sound very exciting.  But, after making them as a side dish, we all decided that they were fabulous and worthy of being the star of the meal.  So instead of grilling a steak which they would accompany, I folded a few in a simple omelet and served extra on the side.  The perfect evening meal.  And I will never underestimate Mr. Olney again.

Ingredients
4-5 tablespoons olive oil
1 lb 10 oz or 750g Swiss brown or other mushrooms
Sea salt
3 large cloves garlic
1 handful parsley
1 handful crumbled half-dried bread (I chopped mine up with a large knife.)
Black pepper
1/2 lemon
Glass of wine – optional but highly recommended – for the cook

Method
Rinse your mushrooms briefly to get rid of any dirt that might be clinging to them and drain them well in a colander.  Cut the tough stem ends off.  Small mushrooms can be left whole but larger ones should be cut in halves or quarters.

Puree the garlic in a mortar with a pestle and chop your parsley finely.

Heat your oil in a large frying pan and add the mushrooms and a good sprinkling of sea salt.  Sauté over a medium high heat, stirring or tossing every few minutes, until the mushrooms take on a golden color.

Choose a bigger pan.  This was hard to stir and toss until the mushrooms had reduced in size.

Add in the garlic and parsley.  Stir well.

Give the whole pan a good couple of grinds of fresh black pepper and add in the breadcrumbs.

Taste for salt and add a little more if necessary.

Squeeze your lemon half over the mushrooms.  Stir or toss again.

Enjoy!

Or add them into an omelet.

Beat a couple of eggs with a dash of milk.  Have a sip of wine.

Add a knob of butter to a non-stick skillet.  Once it has melted, pour in the egg/milk mixture and add some Mushrooms Provençal.

Cook until the eggs are almost set.  Add a few slices of cheddar or other cheese, if desired.  Have a sip of wine.

Fold over.  Neatness doesn't count.  Have another sip of your wine.

Slide the omelet onto a plate, sprinkle with some black pepper and add more mushrooms.  Enjoy!