How to make mushroom stroganoff – recipe

An age-old Russian favourite, rich and full of flavour, in nine easy steps

Stroganoff is a richly savoury dish of sautéed beef in soured cream named after a 19th-century count (though no one seems quite sure exactly which one). But it was only as recently as the 20th century that this age-old Russian favourite was gussied up with onions and mushrooms. Here, it has evolved again to eschew the meat altogether – and you may be surprised how little you miss it.

15g dried porcini 2 large onions 50g butter Salt and black pepper Freshly grated nutmeg , or ground allspice 300g white or chestnut button mushrooms 4 field mushrooms 250ml soured cream, preferably śmietana (see step 7) 1 tbsp Polish sarepska, or English mustard A squeeze of lemon (optional) Chopped chives or dill, to finish

Don’t be tempted to reduce the amount of butter in this dish – stroganoff should never be low-fat – but do feel free to substitute a plant-based alternative, or a good rapeseed or olive oil and a plant-based creme fraiche, though you may also need to add a spritz of lemon juice to taste at the end.

Put the dried porcini in a heatproof bowl, pour over 200ml just-boiled water and leave to soak while you get everything else ready. Peel and thinly slice the onions. Put a wide frying pan on a medium-low heat, add half (25g) the butter and leave to melt.

Fry the onions, along with a pinch of salt and a good grating of nutmeg or allspice, in the melted butter, stirring regularly to ensure they don’t burn, until soft, golden and sweet. Meanwhile, briefly rinse the button mushrooms, if necessary, or brush any dirt off them. If they’re small, leave them whole, and cut into halves or quarters if large.

Scoop the softened onions into a bowl, leaving as much butter as possible behind in the pan. Turn up the heat to medium-high, then saute the button mushrooms in the residual butter until softened and well browned. Scrape the cooked mushrooms into the fried onion bowl.

Brush the field mushrooms, then trim and cut into roughly 1½cm-thick slices. Put the pan back on a medium-high heat and, once it’s hot, add the sliced mushrooms and give them a very light sprinkling of salt. Cook, turning occasionally, for eight to 10 minutes, until their liquid has evaporated and the sound from the pan is a sizzle rather than a hiss.

Add the remaining 25g butter to the now dry mushroom pan, then keep frying, turning so the mushroom slices cook evenly on both sides, for roughly seven to 10 minutes, until they’re a glossy, rich and golden brown. Scoop the sliced mushrooms into a second bowl. (The dish can be prepared ahead up to this point.)

Add the porcini soaking liquid (fine-strained, if need be, to remove any grit) to the pan, scrape the base to deglaze, then gradually whisk in the soured cream – ideally, go for Polish śmietana, which often has a slightly higher fat content than much UK soured cream and is thus less likely to curdle. Stir in the mustard (again, Polish brands are ideal) and heat very gently.

Return the fried onions and button mushrooms to the pan. Finely chop the drained soaked porcini and stir them in, too. Leave to simmer very gently for 10 minutes (if the mix curdles, it will look less than appetising, but rest assured it will still be perfectly safe to eat), then stir in the fried field mushrooms towards the end.

Season to taste with salt, black pepper and some more nutmeg or allspice, if you like, and add a spritz of lemon juice if it needs it. Serve hot, but not bubbling, topped with finely chopped chives or dill and paired with steamed rice or mashed or sauteed potatoes, or even wide egg noodles, as stroganoff is commonly enjoyed in the US.