Mushroom season in Scotland begins in July with chanterelles, so by the end of June I am bursting with anticipation! After years of cooking with wild mushrooms, I think that mushrooms on toast are still my favourite. You can use any edible mushrooms in this recipe – but chanterelles are the gold standard!

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Ingredients (serves 1)

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• Thickly cut slice of your favourite bread (I like sourdough)

• Butter or dairy free spread for your toast, to taste

• A knob of butter (or ½ tbsp olive oil for a dairy free version)

• Large handful of fresh chanterelles (Cantharellus cibarius), sliced or torn into pieces

• 1 small clove garlic, minced

• Splash of Madeira wine

• 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves

• Splash of cream (optional – omit for a dairy free version)

• Salt and pepper to taste

 

Method

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1. First, toast your bread.
    

2. Meanwhile, melt the butter (or heat the olive oil) and add the chanterelles to the pan. They can be cooked on a medium-high heat. If they excude liquid that is ok – just keep cooking them until the liquid has evaporated.
    

3. Once the mushrooms are tender and slightly caramelised at the edges (up to 5 minutes), add the minced garlic and thyme, and cook for a further 1 minute.
    

4. Splash in the Madeira wine to taste and cook gently for a further 1-2 minutes until reduced. 
    

5. Add cream if using and cook for a further 1-2 minutes.
    

6. Butter your toast. Serve mushrooms on top of the toast, with salt and pepper to taste.
    

NOTE: this recipe can be used to make a delicious mushroom sauce for pasta or a steak – just use a bigger splash of Madeira wine and a larger amount of cream.