Baked Mushroom Rice

Simple ingredients, put together simply, quick and easy, and oh so tasty.  I am so glad that I finally made this because it spelled WINNER!

A mix of rice, stock, thyme and garlic powder is put into the bottom of a casserole dish and covered with a thick layer of garlic mushrooms . . .

No need to cover as the layer of mushrooms serves as a sort of a jacket for the rice, covering it . . .  the juices running down and mingling with the stock and rice beneath it as it cooks . . .

The mushrooms are wonderfully flavoured, all garlicky and almost meaty in flavour.  I used a mix of brown chestnut mushrooms and button mushrooms.  It may look like a lot of mushrooms to begin with, but they shrink (as mushrooms do) as they cook, and you get little bits of the rice somewhat exposed and little crispy bits . . .

When it comes out of the oven you scatter on some thinly sliced spring onions, and fork them through with the cooked mushrooms . . .

Fluffing up that rice and mingling the flavours and textures of everything just nicely  . . . 

This would be perfect served with just about anything . . .  poultry, pork, beef, fish  . . .  all would go well . . .

I served it simply with a fried egg on top, for a Vegetarian feast for all the senses  . . . 

Simply perfect with that golden yolk torn open so that it drizzled all rich and delicious into the rice  . . .  mingling with all those lovely flavours and textures  . . .

This made the perfect supper for the two of us  . . . with plenty of leftovers that I can fry up tomorrow as a fried rice, perhaps adding a bit of chicken, if I have any . . .

This was really quite satisfying.  In truth I would have been happy with just the rice, but men do like their protein and so I fried the eggs for Todd.

This is a dish I would make again.  It was easy and quite delicious.  I highly recommend!

Baked Mushroom Rice

ingredients:

• 650g mushrooms, cleaned and quartered (1.3 pounds) I used a mix of chestnut and button mushrooms
• 50g butter, melted (3 1/2 TBS)
• 2 fat cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
• salt and black pepper to taste

instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/gas mark 4.  Have ready a 9 by 13 inch baking dish.
2. Place the mushrooms into a bowl. Pour the hot melted butter over top and toss together with the garlic and some salt and pepper to coat.  Set aside.
3. Pour the rice into the baking dish.  Spread it out to cover the bottom of the dish. Combine the vegetable stock, water, thyme and garlic powder.  Pour evenly over top to cover. 
4. Scatter the mushrooms over the rice and liquid  to coat it completely. This will act as a lid and any juices from the mushrooms will drip down into the rice to further flavour it.  Drizzle the olive oil over top of all.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, until the mushrooms are golden brown and the rice tender.  Scatter the spring onions over top and fork through.  Serve immediately.

Well, the Engineer came to look at my oven today and the prognosis is that one of the elements is gone, but he doesn’t know which. (It used to be easy to tell which in the old days!)  In any case he has ordered both a top and a bottom element and someone will come and fit them on Tuesday, so I guess there is no roast dinner for us this Easter weekend!  And no cakes to share with you either.  *sniff *sniff  I did get this rice dish baked, but I had to bake it at a much higher temperature and I was really taking my chances that it would turn out.  Thank goodness it did.  I don’t think I would hazard an expensive piece of meat  in it. My sister says why don’t I use my Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker.  I just haven’t been able to master that yet either, or at least to my satisfaction!  I think it will be a Rotisserie Chicken from Costco for us!  I don’t really mind as I quite like them!

Debunking the myths of English Cookery, one recipe at a time.
The English Kitchen

http://theenglishkitchen.blogspot.com/