bruschetta of puffball and field mushrooms with tomato and thyme

bruschetta con vesce, pomodori e timo

for 6

1.5 kg firm puffballs

1.5 kg firm, flat field mushrooms

1 kg large ripe beef tomatoes

1 large bunch of fresh thyme, leaves picked from the stalks

120 ml olive oil

6 garlic cloves, peeled, 5 finely sliced

2 small dried red chillies, crumbled

Maldon salt and freshly ground black pepper

6 salted anchovies, prepared (see here), roughly chopped

6 slices sourdough bread

extra virgin olive oil

2 lemons

Peel the puffballs and cut into pieces of about 3 × 1.5 cm. Peel the flat field mushrooms and slice across into 1 cm slices. Skin the tomatoes (see here), then remove the hard centre part and roughly chop the flesh.

Heat 3 tablespoons of the oil in a large, thick-bottomed saucepan. When hot, add half the sliced garlic and all the chilli, and fry until the garlic colours. Add the tomato and 1 teaspoon salt, and simmer briefly until the tomato pieces break up into a sauce. Add the anchovies and stir to combine.

In a separate large frying pan heat another 3 tablespoons of oil until very hot. Add half the puffball pieces in one layer and turn them over immediately in the hot oil. They will brown very quickly. Add a third of the thyme leaves, a third of the remaining sliced garlic and some salt and pepper. Turn over just to combine and slightly colour the garlic.

Remove and put aside. Repeat with the remainder of the puffballs, using half of the remaining thyme and garlic.

Wipe the pan clean and heat the remaining oil. Add the field mushroom slices and fry quickly, adding the remaining garlic and thyme, plus some salt and pepper. After about 5 minutes, combine the two types of mushroom and stir in the tomato sauce.

Meanwhile, grill the bread on both sides. Rub one side of each lightly with the whole garlic clove and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Spoon the warm mushroom mixture on to the bruschetta and serve as an antipasta with a piece of lemon.