Onions and Mushrooms a la Grecque

Onions and mushrooms a la Grecque

 A la Grecgue isn’t Greek at all but denotes stewing  in a spicy, herby  French dressing. Almost any veg is good served a la Greque: cauliflower, beans, carrots, artichoke hearts, beetroot, red peppers.  

They make a good salad, side dish or first course, or a topping for toast or flatbread.  

12 baby onions,  shallots or 3 quartered small red onions, peeled

12 button mushrooms  

3 tablespoons each extra virgin olive oil, white wine, apple cider vinegar and water

1 heaped tablespoon tomato paste.

½ teaspoon each coriander seeds, fennel seeds, black peppercorns and salt

Few sprigs of any herb or herbs your like; eg bay, coriander, thyme, tarragon, sage, parsley,  

Peel the onions, making sure you only remove actual roots, not the root-end which will hold the onion together during cooking. Rinse any peat or soil off the mushrooms.

Put the liquids and flavourings into a deep saucepan with a lid. Bring to a gentle simmer, stir, add the onions and mushrooms, cover, and cook very slowly for 40 minutes until the onions are soft when pierced with a skewer.

If the sauce is still thin, remove the lid and allow it to boil until thickened. Then remove the herbs and tip everything else into a serving dish. Serve cold.