Mushroom Freekotto

AuthorSylvieCategory, DifficultyAdvanced

If you google "Freekotto", you'll know that this word doesn't exist at all. I invented it because I cooked Freekeh, risotto style and I had no idea how to name this dish! Anyway, let's talk about the flavors here; mushrooms cooked in cultured ghee, aromatics, beautiful Freekeh, homemade vegetable stock, feta for creaminess, lemon zest for tang, and fresh French thyme. Sounds amazing, right?

Yields3 Servings
Prep Time25 minsCook Time1 hr 45 minsTotal Time2 hrs 10 mins
Vegetable Stock
 1 tbsp olive oil
 2 shallots
 2 carrots, peeled
 1 medium potato, peeled
 1 celery stalk, plus leaves
 6 cups water
 2 small dried chili pods (optional)
 2 small dried ginger thumbs
 2 bay leaves
 1 cinnamon stick
 4 cloves
 Salt to taste
Freekotto
 2 tbsp cultured ghee or unsalted butter, plus more for finishing
 200 g button mushrooms
 Salt to taste
 Black pepper to taste
 1 shallot
 1 garlic clove
 2 tbsp sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
 1 ½ cups Freekeh, washed very well and drained
 5 cups vegetable stock
 ½ tsp corn starch, dissolved in a little bit of water
 100 g feta cheese, crumbled into small pieces (try to get a tangy sheep and goat feta)
 Zest of 1 lemon
 French thyme sprigs
1

Half the shallots. Roughly chop the carrots, potato, and celery. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a medium pot. Once hot, sear the shallot for 1 Minute. Add the veggies and continue to cook on high heat for 2 Minutes. Add the celery leaves, chili, ginger, bay leaves, cinnamon, cloves, salt, then pour in the water and bring to a boil. simmer for 60 Minutes with the lid on. Strain the liquid and you are ready to use it.

2

Finely chop shallot and garlic. Slice mushrooms into 1/2 cm thick pieces.

3

Melt 2 tbsp of ghee in a medium pot, then add the mushrooms in. Fry them on medium heat for 5 Minutes or until golden brown, while stirring every minute. Lightly season with salt and pepper. Transfer the cooked mushrooms to a plate and set them aside. Keep warm.

4

In the same pot, sauté shallots on medium heat for 1 Minute. Add garlic and sun-dried tomatoes and cook for 2 Minutes. Add the Freekeh and cook for 2 Minutes, while continuously stirring.

5

Bring the vegetable stock to a boil and keep it simmering. Add a ladle of hot stock into the Freekeh pot, make sure it's simmering, then switch to low heat, and stir. Every time the Freekeh dries out, add 1 ladle of stock. Keep adding the stock one ladle at a time, and stirring for around 25 Minutes. The Freekeh should stay al dente. Pour in the corn starch, 80 g of feta and stir until the feta melts. Season to taste and turn heat off.

6

Finish with 1 tbsp of ghee, lemon zest , a handful of thyme leaves, and mix until combined. Stir in the mushrooms and leave some for garnish.

7

Pour Freekotto into your serving plate. Top with the rest of the mushrooms, crumbled feta, lemon zest, and garnish with thyme leaves. Serve immediately, and enjoy!

Ingredients

Vegetable Stock
 1 tbsp olive oil
 2 shallots
 2 carrots, peeled
 1 medium potato, peeled
 1 celery stalk, plus leaves
 6 cups water
 2 small dried chili pods (optional)
 2 small dried ginger thumbs
 2 bay leaves
 1 cinnamon stick
 4 cloves
 Salt to taste
Freekotto
 2 tbsp cultured ghee or unsalted butter, plus more for finishing
 200 g button mushrooms
 Salt to taste
 Black pepper to taste
 1 shallot
 1 garlic clove
 2 tbsp sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
 1 ½ cups Freekeh, washed very well and drained
 5 cups vegetable stock
 ½ tsp corn starch, dissolved in a little bit of water
 100 g feta cheese, crumbled into small pieces (try to get a tangy sheep and goat feta)
 Zest of 1 lemon
 French thyme sprigs

Directions

1

Half the shallots. Roughly chop the carrots, potato, and celery. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a medium pot. Once hot, sear the shallot for 1 Minute. Add the veggies and continue to cook on high heat for 2 Minutes. Add the celery leaves, chili, ginger, bay leaves, cinnamon, cloves, salt, then pour in the water and bring to a boil. simmer for 60 Minutes with the lid on. Strain the liquid and you are ready to use it.

2

Finely chop shallot and garlic. Slice mushrooms into 1/2 cm thick pieces.

3

Melt 2 tbsp of ghee in a medium pot, then add the mushrooms in. Fry them on medium heat for 5 Minutes or until golden brown, while stirring every minute. Lightly season with salt and pepper. Transfer the cooked mushrooms to a plate and set them aside. Keep warm.

4

In the same pot, sauté shallots on medium heat for 1 Minute. Add garlic and sun-dried tomatoes and cook for 2 Minutes. Add the Freekeh and cook for 2 Minutes, while continuously stirring.

5

Bring the vegetable stock to a boil and keep it simmering. Add a ladle of hot stock into the Freekeh pot, make sure it's simmering, then switch to low heat, and stir. Every time the Freekeh dries out, add 1 ladle of stock. Keep adding the stock one ladle at a time, and stirring for around 25 Minutes. The Freekeh should stay al dente. Pour in the corn starch, 80 g of feta and stir until the feta melts. Season to taste and turn heat off.

6

Finish with 1 tbsp of ghee, lemon zest , a handful of thyme leaves, and mix until combined. Stir in the mushrooms and leave some for garnish.

7

Pour Freekotto into your serving plate. Top with the rest of the mushrooms, crumbled feta, lemon zest, and garnish with thyme leaves. Serve immediately, and enjoy!

Mushroom Freekotto
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