A simple, earthy Catalan tapa that leans on the classic technique of picada: a coarse paste of toasted nuts, garlic and parsley, stirred through at the end to add texture and a final hit of flavour. Best made with rovellons (saffron milk caps) but any wild mushrooms or even farmed mushrooms are good.
Saffron milk caps so called as the mushrooms ooze an orange “milk” when cut
Ingredients
300g wild mushrooms (rovellons, chanterelles, ceps or oyster mushrooms), cleaned
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves
2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
1 slice stale bread, crusts removed
1 tbsp blanched hazelnuts
2 tbsp dry sherry
Salt and black pepper
Method
Start the picada: in a small dry frying pan, toast the bread until golden on both sides, then set aside. Toast the hazelnuts in the same pan for about 2 minutes, until fragrant. Leave everything to cool for 5 minutes.
In a pestle and mortar (or a small food processor), pound or blitz the toasted bread and hazelnuts with 1 of the garlic cloves and half the parsley, with a small splash of water, until you have a coarse, spoonable paste. Set aside.
Tear or slice the mushrooms into bite-sized pieces if large. Finely slice the remaining 2 garlic cloves.
Heat the olive oil in a wide frying pan over high heat. Add the mushrooms in a single layer, in batches if needed, season with a little salt, and cook until golden.
Add the sliced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant, then add the sherry and let it bubble and reduce for a minute.
Stir in the picada paste and toss to coat the mushrooms, cooking for a further minute so the paste warms through.
Finish with a sprinkle of salt and the remaining parsley. Serve immediately, piping hot.
Rovellons hold their shape well during cooking. Here served fried with picada and served on toast