S2E1 Forest Forage Dinner

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S2E1 recipes

Ceps on Toast

Buttery sautéed porcini piled onto garlicky ciabatta with crème fraîche, pecorino, and a lemony snap of wood sorrel.
At a glance
Yield: Serves 2 as a starter
Prep / Cook / Total: 10 min / 8–10 min / 18–20 min
Skill level: Easy
Equipment: nonstick or stainless pan, mandoline, microplane, tongs
Ingredients
  • 1–2 tbsp (15–30 ml) olive oil
  • 2 thick slices ciabatta
  • 1 garlic clove, peeled, for rubbing toast
  • 6–8 oz (170–225 g) fresh porcini/ceps, cleaned, caps sliced; reserve stems for microplaning 
  • 1 small shallot, very thinly sliced (mandoline)
  • 1–2 fresh thyme sprigs
  • Kosher salt, to taste
  • 2 tbsp (28 g) unsalted butter
  • 2–3 tbsp (30–45 ml) crème fraîche
  • 2 tbsp (10 g) finely grated pecorino, plus extra to finish
  • Small handful wood sorrel, to finish
  • squeeze of lemon
Method
  1. Heat pan over medium-high. Add 1 tbsp olive oil. Toast ciabatta on both sides until golden; remove and rub each side lightly with the garlic clove.
  2. Add another splash of oil. Sauté sliced porcini 1 minute. Add shallot, thyme, and a pinch of salt; cook 1–2 minutes until edges caramelize.
  3. Add butter; toss 30–60 seconds until glossy. Lower heat, stir in crème fraîche to melt into the mushrooms, then fold in pecorino.
  4. Spoon mixture over the toasts. Top with wood sorrel. Finish with extra pecorino and a fine grating of raw cep stem over the top. Serve immediately.
Tips & substitutions
If porcini are scarce, use a mix of cremini and shiitake, then fine-grate a dried cep over to boost aroma.
Dietary tags: vegetarian
Allergens: dairy, gluten
Make-ahead / storage / reheat: Best to order. Toast can be prepped 1 hour ahead and rewarmed.
Chef’s note: Keep the pan hot so mushrooms sear instead of stewing.
Optional pairing: Dry sparkling wine or a crisp pilsner.
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Spelt Risotto with Crispy Ox Tongue and Quick-Pickled Turnip

Creamy barley “risotto” finished with crème fraîche and pecorino, crowned with seared, pressed ox tongue and sharp turnip.
At a glance
Yield: Serves 6 as a main or 8 as a starter
Prep / Cook / Total: 35–40 min (risotto + turnip) + 4–6 hr (tongue incl. pressing) / see steps / hands-on ~60–70 min
Skill level: Advanced (because of tongue prep)
Equipment: mandoline, medium pot, pressure cooker or Dutch oven, sheet trays + weights, sauté pan, ladle
Ingredients
  • 3 medium turnips, peeled; sliced on mandoline (about 12 oz/340 g)
  • 1 tsp (4 g) sugar
  • 1 tsp (5 g) fine salt
  • 1 tbsp (15 ml) white wine vinegar
  • 2–3 tbsp (30–45 ml) olive oil
  • 9 tbsp (125 g) cold butter, diced
  • 2–3 shallots, finely sliced (about 6 oz/170 g)
  • 2 1/2 cups (500 g) pearl barley
  • 6 1/3 cups (1.5 L) hot chicken stock
  • 2 tbsp (30 ml) crème fraîche
  • 1/4 cup (10 g) chives, finely chopped
  • 2 cups (200 g) pecorino, finely grated

Braised tongue

  • Olive oil, for searing
  • Kosher salt, to taste
  • 1 whole ox tongue (3–4 lb/1.4–1.8 kg)
  • 1 onion, quartered
  • 1 head garlic, halved
  • 6 thyme sprigs
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tbsp (8 g) coriander seeds
  • 1 tsp (3 g) fennel seeds
  • Water to cover
Method

Quick pickled turnip

  1. Toss turnip slices with sugar, salt, and vinegar. Set aside 15–20 minutes, tossing once.

Barley “risotto”

  1. Warm olive oil and half the butter in a pot. Sauté shallots 2–3 minutes until translucent.
  2. Add barley; toast 1–2 minutes. Add all hot stock, bring to a boil, then simmer, stirring occasionally, until tender with bite and creamy, about 30 minutes.
  3. Off heat, fold in remaining butter, crème fraîche, chives, and pecorino. Season to taste.

Braised tongue

  1. Heat pressure cooker (or heavy pot) with a film of oil. Salt tongue and sear well. Add onion, garlic, thyme, bay, coriander, and fennel. Cover with water.
  2. Pressure cook 45–60 minutes (or simmer gently 2.5–3 hours) until very tender.
  3. Remove tongue; strain and reserve the stock. Cool tongue enough to handle, peel and trim.
  4. Halve lengthwise, place between two trays, weight, and press 3–5 hours. Cut into 1 cm cubes.
  5. Fry cubes in a slick of oil until crisp all over; keep warm.

Finish

  1. Reheat risotto to creamy. Fold through a spoon of reserved tongue stock if needed. Top bowls with crispy tongue and pickled turnip.
Tips & substitutions
If ox tongue is unavailable, crisped beef cheek or pork belly cubes work. A splash of the tongue stock enriches the “risotto.”
Dietary tags: contains beef
Allergens: dairy
Make-ahead / storage / reheat: Tongue can be braised and pressed 2 days ahead. Pickled turnip keeps 24 hours. Reheat risotto with extra stock.
Chef’s note: Finish the “risotto” off heat so the cheese stays glossy, not greasy.
Optional pairing: Northern Rhône red or a malty lager.
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Rabbit in a Snow Storm (Steamed Saddle, Leg & Shoulder Rillette, Olive-Oil “Snow”)

Rolled rabbit saddle with a mousse core, crisped rabbit meatballs, silky mushroom ketchup, wild mushrooms, and olive-oil snow.
At a glance
Yield: Serves 6–8
Prep / Cook / Total: 1 hr 15 min active + chilling/pressing / 2–3 hr across components / ~3.5–5 hr total
Skill level: Advanced
Equipment: oven, food processor, steamer setup, nonstick pans, sieve, squeeze bottle, trays + weights
Ingredients

Rabbit braise and mousse

  • 3 rabbits, saddles deboned; legs/shoulders separated (kidneys/livers reserved)
  • Olive oil, for searing
  • Kosher salt, to taste
  • Thyme sprigs, bay leaves
  • 8 garlic cloves
  • 8 1/2 cups (2 L) chicken stock
  • 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 14 oz/400 g)
  • 1 2/3 cups (400 ml) whipping cream, cold
  • 2 tbsp (30 ml) wholegrain mustard
  • Rabbit livers and kidneys, quickly sautéed and chilled, rough-chopped

Mushroom ketchup

  • 2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil
  • 2 shallots, sliced
  • 6 garlic cloves, sliced
  • 1 lb 12 oz (800 g) button mushrooms, sliced
  • 1/2 cup (120 ml) balsamic vinegar
  • 3 1/2 tbsp (50 g) butter
  • Salt, to taste

Olive-oil snow

  • 1/3 cup (80 ml) good olive oil
  • 1/2–2/3 cup (40–55 g) tapioca maltodextrin (aka “tapioca multidextrose”), to texture

For finishing

  • Fresh ceps and wild mushrooms, sliced and sautéed
  • Wood sorrel
  • Reduced rabbit leg braising liquid (sauce)
Method

Rabbit braise and mousse

  1. Heat oven to 356°F (180°C). Sear rabbit legs and shoulders in oil; add salt, thyme, bay, and 8 garlic cloves. Deglaze with a splash of stock, then add remaining stock. Braise 1 hour in oven.
  2. Remove meat; reserve braising liquid. Shred leg and shoulder meat.
  3. Blitz chicken breasts in a processor; with motor running, drizzle in cold cream to a smooth mousse. Stir in mustard, shredded rabbit, and chopped liver/kidney. Chill.
  4. Lay saddles flat; season and spread with mustard. Roll a thin “sausage” of mousse along the spine and roll saddle around it. Wrap tightly in cling film; tie ends. Chill. Roll leftover mousse into walnut-size balls; chill.

Mushroom ketchup

  1. Sauté shallots in olive oil; add garlic and button mushrooms. Cook ~20 minutes until collapsed. Add balsamic and butter; reduce until syrupy. Season, blend smooth, pass through a sieve, and bottle.

Olive-oil snow

  1. Whisk maltodextrin into olive oil until a dry “snow” forms. Adjust with more powder as needed. Hold airtight.

Finish and plate

  1. Steam wrapped rabbit Saddles 15 minutes; rest.
  2. Sear meatballs in a little oil until golden; reserve.
  3. Unwrap saddles; slice into 1 cm discs. Kiss each side in a hot pan 30 seconds. In the same pan, sauté wild mushrooms briefly; season.
  4. Reduce braising liquid to a sauce consistency.
  5. Plate sliced rabbit with dots of mushroom ketchup. Add meatballs, sautéed mushrooms, spooned sauce, wood sorrel, and light drifts of olive-oil snow.
Tips & substitutions
If maltodextrin is unavailable, skip the snow and add a lemon-zest finish to keep lift.
Dietary tags: contains poultry, offal
Allergens: dairy
Make-ahead / storage / reheat: Ketchup keeps 5 days. Meatballs and saddles reheat gently; don’t overcook.
meatballs for Maillard, ketchup for depth, snow for contrast.
Chef’s note: Keep mousse cold so it pipes and slices cleanly.
Optional pairing: Pinot Noir or a crisp, dry cider.
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Cheesecake Mousse with Passion Fruit and Puffed-Rice Praline

A light, vanilla-scented cheesecake mousse from an iSi siphon, topped with shattery caramelized puffed rice and tart passion fruit.
At a glance
Yield: Serves 6–8
Prep / Cook / Total: 20 min active + chilling / 10–12 min / 2–3 hr total (to chill the base)
Skill level: Intermediate
Equipment: saucepan, whisk, iSi siphon (1 L) + 2 N2O chargers, silicone mat or parchment
Ingredients

Mousse base

  • 2 cups (500 ml) whipping cream
  • 3/4 cup + 1 tbsp (200 ml) whole milk
  • 1 cup (200 g) caster sugar, for base
  • 2 pumps vanilla paste 
  • 9 oz (250 g) full-fat cream cheese, room temp

Puffed-rice praline

  • 1 1/2 cups (300 g) caster sugar
  • 3 cups (300 g) puffed rice cereal 
  • Neutral oil, for greasing mat (optional)

Finish

  • Flesh and seeds from 4 passion fruit
Method
  1. Warm cream, milk, 200 g sugar, and vanilla to just steaming; do not boil.
  2. Pour over room-temp cream cheese and whisk until completely smooth. Strain if needed. Chill until cold (2–3 hours).
  3. Transfer base to siphon, charge with 2 N2O chargers, shake well, and keep chilled.
  4. For praline, gently melt 300 g sugar in a heavy pan to an amber caramel. Off heat, fold in puffed rice, working quickly. Spread thinly on a silicone mat; cool and set. Break into shards.
  5. To serve, dispense cheesecake mousse into chilled bowls, top with shards of puffed-rice praline and fresh passion fruit.

Tips & substitutions
For extra tang, whisk 2–3 tbsp (30–45 ml) lemon juice into the base once cool, before charging.
Dietary tags: vegetarian
Allergens: dairy
Make-ahead / storage / reheat: Base holds 24 hours chilled in the siphon. Praline keeps airtight for 3 days.
Sourcing notes: Use a smooth, full-fat cream cheese; low-fat splits under gas.
Chef’s note: Chill bowls and the siphon; cold mousse holds better form and stays airy.
Optional pairing: Moscato d’Asti or chilled mint tea.
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