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.