Mushroom and Cavolo Nero lasagne

Our challenge this year is what to do with 10 ready to eat Cavolo nero .  This recipe is adapted from Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall River Cottage Veg. It takes approximately 3 hours to prepare and be ready to serve so it is not a quick dish.

This includes digging up and cleaning the onions, garlic,celery and cabbage so if you are buying these from a supermarket you can slim down some of the time.If you like you veggies and are prepared to make some time, it is very tasty and worth all the effort.  You can also cook this in advance and reheat a bit later. We will re-use the béchamel sauce for a more traditional  lasagne dish.

Foodstuff you will need:  (serves 6)

300 g cavolo nero or Kale or cabbage tough stalks removed

30g butter

500g mushrooms – washed, chopped

2 garlic cloves – finely chopped

sprigs of thyme – leaves only

175g lasagne sheets ( to create 3 layers in your lasagne dish)

Parmesan – grated – enough to cover your dish

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Bechamel Sauce

750ml whole milk

1 bay leaf

1 onion chopped

1 celery stalk – chopped

black peppercorns

50g butter

50 plain flour

2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard

Equipment

2 large saucepans

Strainer for cabbage

Sieve for sauce

Large Bowls (to set aside ingredients)

Pouring jug

Frying pan

Sharp knife and chopping board

Wooden spoon

Lasagne dish

Oven

How to throw it together

Pre heat oven to 180C/Gas mark 4

Heat the milk for the sauce with the bay leaf, onion, celery and peppercorns until just below simmering. Remove from heat and set aside to infuse.

Shed the cabbage. Put into a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 2-3 minutes until tender. Drain and set aside.

Heat ½ the butter in large frying pan over medium heat. Add half the mushrooms, salt and pepper and cook until caramalised. Add half of the thyme and garlic for last minute and stir well.  Remove from heat, place into a dish and set aside. Repeat for other half of the mushrooms, garlic, thyme etc then set aside.

Gently reheat the infused milk, then strain into clean jug.

Heat the butter in the frying pan, stir in the flour to form a smooth roux and cook gently for 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat. Add ¼ of the milk and stir in to form a smooth paste. Repeat with rest of milk beating vigorously until you have a smooth sauce.  Return to the heat and allow to bubble gently until thickened. Stir in mustard and salt and pepper.

Add half the sauce to the Cabbage and put to one side.

Spread half the béchamel sauce over bottom of the lasagne dish. Layer 1/3 of the lasgane in the dish and spoon the cabbage on top. Add another layer of lasagne sheets then the mushroom mix. Finish with a final layer of lasagne and the remaining béchamel sauce.

Scatter over the cheese and add a trickle of olive oil. Bake for 30 minutes until golden. Serve immediately.

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