Mushroom manti
These classic Turkish dumplings are given a vegetarian twist with a mushroom filling and a smoked tomato sauce.
Ingredients
For the mushroom filling
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú portobello mushrooms
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú button mushrooms
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil, plus extra for deep-frying
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú oyster mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp chopped onions
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 tbsp finely chopped parsley
- lemon juice, to taste
- fine salt, to taste
For the dough
- 200g/7oz plain flour, plus extra for dusting
- ¼ tsp fine salt
- 100ml/3½fl oz boiling water
For the yoghurt
- 200g/7oz Turkish or Greek-style yoghurt
- 1–2 large garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- fine salt, to taste
For the tomato sauce
- 1–2 vine-ripened tomatoes, halved
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil, plus extra for brushing
- pinch salt (or smoked salt if not using smoked olive oil)
- 1 tbsp chopped onions
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 3 tbsp smoked olive oil (or normal olive oil if using smoked salt)
To serve
- melted butter, for drizzling
- sweet pepper flakes, for sprinkling
- dried mint, for sprinkling
- cooked wild mushrooms (cauliflower or hen of the woods) and pink radicchio, to garnish
Method
To make the mushroom filling, preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.
Place the portobello and button mushrooms on a baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes.
Heat the oil in a deep fat fryer or deep pan to 160C. (CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.) Carefully lower the oyster mushrooms into the hot oil and deep-fry for 3–4 minutes, until golden.
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a small frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and fry for 5 minutes, until the onions are translucent.
In a food processor, combine all the mushrooms, the onion mixture and parsley and pulse until minced (do not purée). Season with lemon juice and salt.
To make the dough, in a large bowl combine the flour and salt and make a well in the centre. Slowly pour in the boiling water, little by little, and mix with a fork for 3 minutes until the dough comes together.
Transfer the dough to a clean work surface dusted with flour. Use your hands to knead the dough for 10 minutes until smooth.
Place the dough into a bowl, cover and set aside for 30 minutes.
Roll out the dough about 2mm/1/16in thick or pass it through a pasta roller, working your way down from the highest setting.
Slice the dough into 5cm/2in squares. Dust with flour, then stack on a plate. Put in an airtight container and chill in the fridge for 2–4 hours.
To make the yoghurt, combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. Set aside.
To make the tomato sauce, preheat a grill to its highest setting. Brush the tomatoes with some sunflower oil and season with salt (or a pinch of smoked salt if replacing smoked olive oil). Place them under the high grill for 10–15 minutes until charred all over.
Transfer the tomatoes to a food processor and pulse until broken down.
Heat 1 tablespoon of sunflower oil in a small frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and fry for 5 minutes until the onions are softened and translucent.
Add the tomatoes and smoked olive oil (or normal olive oil if using smoked salt) and fry for another 20 minutes, until reduced by half.
To assemble, remove the dough from the fridge. Add a heaped teaspoon of the mushroom filling into the centre of a dough wrapper. Pinch the wrapper and join the corners in the centre to resemble an ‘x’ from above.
Place on a baking sheet or large plate and repeat with the remaining filling and wrappers. At this point you can freeze the manti for up to 3 months.
When ready to cook, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and, working in batches to avoid overcrowding, carefully lower the manti into the water and cook for 4 minutes. Make sure you defrost the manti before cooking if you have frozen them.
Meanwhile, spoon the yoghurt into 4 serving bowls. Top with the tomato sauce.
Use a slotted spoon to carefully transfer the cooked manti to a plate lined with kitchen paper to drain. Place four manti into each bowl.
Drizzle with the melted butter and sprinkle over the sweet pepper flakes and mint. Garnish with the wild mushrooms and radicchio and serve.
