RED TOP MUSHROOM RECIPES

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas 6.
2. Roughly chop some of the mushrooms, keeping the smaller ones whole and tearing up the rest. Tip into a large casserole dish and toast on the hob over a medium heat for 5 to 8 minutes, until nutty and really golden.
3. Meanwhile, peel and finely slice the garlic, ginger and onion. Trim and finely slice the chilli, then roughly chop the tomatoes.
4. Add all of it to the pan except the tomatoes, then add 1 tablespoon of oil and the spices. Toss for 2 minutes, or until the spices are toasted and it’s smelling lovely, stirring continuously.
5. Add the tomatoes, mango chutney and coconut milk, stir to combine and season well with sea salt and black pepper.
6. Top with bits of the paneer and place in the oven. Cook for 30 minutes, or until all cooked through and gnarly.
7. Meanwhile, cook the rice according to the packet instructions.
8. Taste and season as required, adding a little lime juice if needed.
9. Spoon the curry over the rice, then roughly chop the coriander leaves and scatter over the top. Cut the remaining lime into wedges for people to squeeze over the top.

Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/Gas 7. You will need a 3-litre (5-pint), ovenproof dish.

To make the tomato and vegetable sauce, heat the oil in a frying pan. Add the leeks and fry for 3 minutes, then add the peppers and fry for 5 minutes until the vegetables are soft. Add the garlic and season with salt and pepper.

Measure the flour into a bowl. Mix with half a tin of chopped tomatoes and stir until smooth. Add the remaining tomatoes to the vegetables in the pan, followed by the purée and sugar and then the flour mixture.

Bring to the boil, stirring until thickened, then add the mushrooms and boil for a couple of minutes, stirring. Add the basil and vinegar and check the seasoning.

To make the cheese sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan, add the flour and whisk over the heat for a minute. Gradually blend in the milk and whisk until bubbling and smooth. Add the mustard, three-quarters of the cheese and season with salt and pepper.

Spoon a third of the vegetable sauce into the base of the dish. Spoon over a third of the cheese sauce and sprinkle with a third of the remaining cheese. Lay three sheets of lasagne on top (break the lasagne so they fit neatly without overlapping). Continue with the remaining layers to give 2 layers of pasta and three layers of sauce and finish with the remaining cheese on top.

Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes until bubbling and golden brown.

The lasagne can be made completely up to 24 hours ahead.

If using an Aga, bake on the second set of runners in the roasting oven for 35 minutes.

Please note: if you would like this recipe to be vegetarian, use a rennet-free Cheddar substitute.

1. Preheat the oven to 190ºC/gas 5 and line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.
2. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to about 5mm thick. Using a small cutter or wine glass, about 6cm across, cut out 12 rounds (you may need to re-roll the pastry).
3. Place the circles on the baking tray and prick their centres several times with a fork. Beat the egg, then eggwash the circles. Bake on the top shelf of the oven for about 12 minutes until puffed up, crisp and golden. Roughly chop or tear the mushrooms, peel and finely slice the garlic, and crumble the chilli (if using). Pick and roughly chop the parsley.
4. Heat a lug of oil in a large pan and cook the mushrooms, garlic and chilli (if using), until golden.
5. Off the heat, squeeze in the lemon juice, then add the crème fraîche. Season well and fold through the parsley. If the mushrooms are too dry, add a splash of water to loosen the sauce.
6. For the vol-au-vents, cut a very thin layer off the top of each circle and use your knife to carefully hollow out a hole in each one.
7. Fill with the creamy mushrooms and serve – you can pop the pastry lids back on, if you wish.