Name: Mushroom ‘risotto’ with crispy mushrooms and Kecap Manis drizzle
Ingredients: 40ml Kecap Manis; 1 tbsp sherry vinegar; 230g shiitake mushrooms; 200g king oyster mushrooms; 200g oyster mushrooms; 4 tbsp olive oil; 1 large fennel bulb (200g), trimmed and chopped in 1½ cm pieces; 1 onion (180g), chopped in 1½ cm pieces; 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 1 tsp fennel seeds; 2 tbsp olive oil; 40g unsalted butter; 100g rolled oats; 300ml mushroom broth from the recipe in this substack; fine sea salt and black pepper

Mushroom ‘risotto’ with crispy mushrooms and Kecap Manis drizzle

New

Serves 4

Prep 20 min

Cook 35 min

Mushrooms take centre stage here. We’ve used three varieties for roasting, but feel free to use whatever you can find—just ensure they add up to 630g. Be sure to use rolled oats, not porridge oats, as they make all the difference.

Ingredients

For the drizzle
40ml	Kecap Manis
1 tbsp	sherry vinegar
For the crispy mushrooms
230g	shiitake mushrooms
200g	king oyster mushrooms
200g	oyster mushrooms
4 tbsp	olive oil
For the “risotto”
1	large fennel bulb (200g), trimmed and chopped in 1½ cm pieces
1	onion (180g), chopped in 1½ cm pieces
3	garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tsp	fennel seeds
2 tbsp	olive oil
40g	unsalted butter
100g	rolled oats
300ml	mushroom broth from the recipe in this substack
	fine sea salt and black pepper

Method

Preheat the oven to 230C.
First, make drizzle. Mix the Kecap Manis with the sherry vinegar and set aside.
Roughly tear the mushrooms into medium sized pieces and place on a large parchment lined tray with the mushroom from the broth above, 60ml of oil, ¾ teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper. Mix well and roast for 20 minutes. Remove the tray from the oven, drizzle over a tablespoon of the drizzle, mix well and return to the oven for another 5 minutes until crispy in places.
Place the chopped fennel, onion, garlic, fennel seeds, oil and butter in a large saucepan on medium high heat with ½ teaspoon of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally for 9-10 minutes until translucent and caramelised in places.
Stir in the oats then add in ladlefuls of the mushroom broth and 300ml of water, cooking for a total of 10 minutes until the oats have softened and the mixture is creamy.
Divide between four bowls, with the roasted mushrooms on top and the Kecap Manis drizzle on the side.