Wild mushroom croquette with fried oak moss

By andreajayros

Ingredients

• 200 g wild mushrooms (eg wood blewit and parasols), trimmed and cleaned as necessary
• 2 clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped
• 30 g earth balance
• 45 g plain flour
• 250 ml nut milk
• 100 g daiya cheddar cheese, grated
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• For the breadcrumbing
• 2 Flax Eggs
• 100 g Breadcrumbs
• 50 g Oak moss, finely chopped
• Flour to dust
• 50 g oak moss for frying
• Sunflower oil for frying
• To serve
• lemon wedges
• sweet smoked paprika

Details

Servings 15
Adapted from rivercottage.net

Preparation

Step 1

Dice the mushrooms into small pieces. Heat heavy based medium sauce pan over a medium high heat and add the earth balance. Once foaming add the mushrooms and cook for at least 2 minutes.* After 2 minutes add the garlic along with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook until the mushrooms are wilted and tender.

Add the flour and stir over the heat until the mixture begins to resemble ground almonds and the flour is completely cooked out.

Add the nut milk, bit by bit, stirring as you add until you have a smooth paste. Add the grated daiya cheese. Cook the mixture for a further 5 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary until well seasoned.

Spread the mix into a baking dish or similar and leave to cool, leave in the fridge until ready to use.

Meanwhile prepare the breadcrumb mix, mix together the finely chopped oak moss and the breadcrumbs.

For the breadcrumbs, add the flax egg to a bowl and mix with 1tbsp of water. Fill a separate bowl with flour and add the breadcrumb mix to another bowl.

Using two spoons of the same size quenelle the mushroom mix into cylinders. Place on a plate dusted with flour whilst you continue to quenelle the remaining mix.

Dip the cylinders in the bowl of flour, shake off any excess then dip in the flax egg, and finally the breadcrumbs, making sure that all the sides of completely covered. Repeat with the remaining mushroom mix. These can be left covered in the fridge until you are ready to fry them.

Reheat the oil to 180C and fry the croquettes in batches until golden on all sides. Transfer to a plate lined with kitchen roll to drain. Mix together a good pinch of the sweet smoked paprika and a good pinch of salt.