As the temperature drops and soup season officially begins, we’re enjoying slower days at home by the coast, curling up with a good book and cooking comforting, hearty dishes. To capture that autumn feeling, we caught up with author and chef Sophie to hear what she’s been making. Drawing inspiration from what’s in season, mushrooms are in abundance right now - the perfect ingredient to inspire your next autumn lunch.
Serves 4
For the harissa:
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 large jalapeno, deseeded
a large handful of fresh coriander, stalks included, roughly chopped
a large handful of fresh mint, leaves roughly chopped, stalks composted
a large handful of fresh parsley, stalks included, roughly chopped
1 large lemon, juiced, plus a dash of zest
1 tsp cumin seeds, toasted
1 tsp coriander seeds, toasted
1 tbsp white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
salt and pepper
approx. 125ml olive oil
1/2 tsp dried chilli flakes (optional)
For the millet and mushrooms:
approx. 350g dried millet grain
1–2 tbsp olive oil
2 small shallots, thinly sliced
2 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
65ml white wine or 2 tbsp white
wine vinegar (if you’d like to omit the alcohol)
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 small lemon, juiced, plus a dash of zest
2 heaped tsp dried mixed herbs/oregano
salt and pepper
500g mixed wild mushrooms, roughly torn/ chopped (you can also use any other variety or combination)
1 x 400g tin of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
Method:
Start by making the harissa. Put the garlic, jalapeño, coriander, mint, parsley, lemon juice and zest, cumin seeds, coriander seeds and vinegar into a blender (or put them into a bowl and use a hand blender). Season with salt and pepper and blitz for a minute or so, then add the olive oil and continue to blend until you have a rough paste. Taste and adjust, adding the chilli flakes if you like, and any extra oil to loosen. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
Bring a pan of salted water to the boil. Add the millet, bring to a simmer, then cook until al dente, about 12 minutes. Once cooked, drain any excess water and cover to keep warm.
While your millet is cooking, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a pan, then add the shallots and fry until they start to soften and brown. Add the garlic and sauté. for another minute or so, being careful not to burn the garlic.Go ahead and add the white wine, mustard, lemon juice, zest and mixed herbs/oregano. Season with salt and pepper and stir to combine. Bring to a low boil and add the mushrooms, stirring to coat them with the liquid.
Cook the mushrooms for about 10 minutes, until they soften and start to make the sauce a lot richer in colour, seasoning with salt and pepper if necessary. Add the chickpeas and stir. Add 2–4 tablespoons of the harissa, stirring to combine and heating through.
Serve the millet topped with the mushrooms and an extra dollop of the green harissa. Scatter over some freshly chopped herbs and enjoy.
Join Sophie and Rebecca in January at Highcliffe for a restorative weekend filled with yoga, wholesome seasonal food, sea swims and more. Leave feeling nourished, inspired, and surrounded by new friends.
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