porcini brasati con spinaci
for 6
50 g dried porcini, soaked in 200 ml hot water for 20 minutes
1.5 kg spinach, washed
Maldon salt and freshly ground black pepper
olive oil
3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely sliced
2 dried red chillies, crumbled
500 g large flat field mushrooms, peeled and sliced 1 cm thick
juice of 1 lemon
extra virgin olive oil
Drain the porcini, keeping the liquid. Strain this through a fine sieve. Rinse the porcini under running cold water to get rid of any remaining grit, and roughly chop.
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil, add the spinach and cook for 3 minutes. Drain.
Heat 4 tablespoons of olive oil in a large, thick-bottomed frying pan. Add the garlic and just let it soften, then add the porcini and dried chilli. Gently fry for 10 minutes, adding a couple of spoons of the porcini liquid to keep the porcini moist. When the porcini have become soft, let the liquid evaporate, leaving just the oil, then add the mushroom slices. Fry them with the porcini for 5 minutes; they will become very dark. Add a little more liquid to the pan, just to moisten the mushrooms. Season generously with salt and pepper, turn down the heat and simmer until the mushrooms are cooked.
Stir in the spinach and adjust the seasoning. Serve with a little lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil.