http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/food_and_drink/gordon_ramsay/article5075053.eceGordon Ramsay
Serves 6
This is my take on a vegetarian lasagna. Instead of a traditional bechamel sauce, I use a lighter and much easier topping that is made from Greek yoghurt and crème fraîche. If you can’t use wild mushrooms, this recipe would also work with the more readily available varieties, such as shiitake, oyster, portobello and chestnut. Don’t be tempted to wash the mushrooms; just wipe them clean with damp kitchen roll or brush away any dirt with a pastry brush.
20g dried porcini mushrooms
600g mixed wild mushrooms, such as porcini (ceps), pieds bleus, girolles, etc, cleaned
2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for greasing
2 banana shallots, chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 sprigs of rosemary, needles finely chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Splash of Madeira wine
Large handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
300g lasagna sheets (about 12)
200g soft goat’s cheese, crumbled or sliced
For the topping
100ml crème fraîche
100ml Greek yoghurt
2 large egg yolks
6 tbsp freshly grated parmesan
Pinch of sweet paprika
1 Soak the dried porcini mushrooms in a small bowl with enough boiling water to cover. Leave for 10-15 minutes until soft. Scoop out the mushrooms and squeeze out the excess water. Reserve the soaking liquid.
2 Trim any woody ends off the mushrooms and tear or slice any larger mushrooms into smaller pieces. Heat a wide frying pan with the oil, then add the shallots, garlic and rosemary. Sauté over a medium heat for 4-5 minutes until the shallots are soft. Add both the soaked and fresh mushrooms to the shallots and garlic with some salt and pepper and sauté over a high heat for 2-3 minutes.
3 Add a splash of Madeira and 3 tbsp of the reserved soaking liquid (making sure you leave any grit you see at the bottom of the bowl behind) to the mushrooms. Bring to the boil and cook for a further 2-3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the parsley. Check for seasoning and set aside.
4 Preheat the oven to 200C/Gas 6. Blanch and refresh the lasagna sheets in a pan of boiling salted water until they are al dente, then drain and pat dry. To make the topping, beat the crème fraîche, Greek yoghurt, egg yolks and 4 tbsp of the parmesan together in a bowl with some seasoning.
5 Lightly grease an ovenproof dish, measuring about 20 x 30cm, with olive oil. Cover the bottom of the dish with a layer of the mushroom mixture, followed by some of the goat’s cheese. Arrange a layer of lasagna sheets on top, then repeat the layering process twice more, finishing with a layer of lasagna.
6 Spoon the topping over the lasagna, sprinkle with the remaining parmesan and paprika and cover the dish with foil. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove the foil and return to the oven for another 10 minutes or until the topping is golden brown and bubbling. Leave the lasagna to stand for 5-10 minutes before serving. Enjoy with a crisp green salad tossed in a balsamic dressing.
