Mushroom and walnut cobbler

Mushrooms are the star of this cobbler, so I advise picking some good ones for the dish. I opted for some hearty chestnut mushrooms, which I got from waitrose, they generally do not give off too much water and their mushrooms remain robust and meaty.  They are offset perfectly by this crusty cobbler topping with a hint of salty nutty cheddar.

What you will need

1 large onion

4 cloves garlic

500g chestnut mushrooms

2 tea spoons smoked paprika

Fresh thyme

2 table spoons plain flour

1/2 tea spoon marmite (optional)

100ml red wine

500ml vegetable stock

100g walnuts, roughly chopped
 

For the topping

100g self-raising flour

50g cold butter

65g cheddar cheese

1 egg

35ml milk

Heat some oil in a sauce pan and cook the chopped onion and garlic for 5 minutes until fairly soft. Next, add the sliced mushrooms, and cook for a further 5-10 minutes until all the vegetables have softened.

Turn the heat down fairly low, and add the paprika, thyme and flour, stirring constantly for one more minute to prevent any lumps.

 

Next add the red wine and cook for a few minutes, before adding the vegetable stock, marmite and chopped walnuts. Reduce the stew for 10 more minutes to intensify the flavour.

 

To make the cobbler topping, season the self-raising flour with salt and plenty of black pepper. Use your fingertips to rub in the butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs, before mixing in the grated cheddar.

 

Lightly whisk the egg with the milk and then add this to the flour mixture. It should be fairly wet – if it looks too dry, add a tad more milk.

 

Pour the mushroom stew into a casserole dish and then dollop the cobbler mixture onto the top of the mushroom stew. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for 30-40 minutes, or until the cobbler topping is golden brown and cooked through.

 

Serve on its own or with some green vegetables. Gipsy Spread also had some roast chicken with his.