Buckwheat is a popular grain in the Slavic countries of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Poland. Here it’s paired with dried porcini (cep) mushrooms in a deliciously nutty and flavourful casserole.
Soak 55g (2 oz) of porcini mushrooms in 2 cups of warm water for 2 hours. Now preheat your oven to 190ºC (375ºF). Remove the mushrooms from their soaking water, dry with a paper towel and roughly chop them. Now strain the water (through a fine filter like a coffee filter) into a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in an ovenproof casserole dish. Add 1 cup of buckwheat and stir it for a few minutes. Now add the simmering mushroom liquid and some salt to taste. Cover and simmer over low heat for 15-20 minutes until all the liquid has been absorbed. While the buckwheat cooks, melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a frypan and gently fry 2 large chopped onions. Add 280g (10 oz) of sliced fresh mushrooms along with the soaked mushrooms and sauté until browned, stirring often. Mix 1 cup of sour cream with ½ a cup of chicken stock and add this to the buckwheat along with the mushroom mix. Stir well to combine and adjust seasoning if necessary. Flatten out the top and dot with 2 tablespoons of butter. Bake until the top is nicely browned and serve hot.
michelle picker cooks 