- 25g/1oz unsalted butter
- 450g/1lb chestnut mushrooms, wiped & thickly sliced
- 350g/12oz flat field mushrooms, wiped, peeled and thickly sliced
- 115g/4oz button mushrooms
- 2 heaped teaspoons plain flour
- 150ml/¼ pint dry sherry
- 300ml/½pint vegetable stock
- 300ml/½ pint double cream
- squeeze of lemon juice
- 1 bunch fresh thyme, roughly chopped
- salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 900g/2lb potatoes, scrubbed well
- 280g/10oz buttermilk
- nutmeg, freshly grated
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large leek, washed and shredded
- 450g/1lb dark green cabbage or spring greens, washed and finely shredded
- In a large frying pan or wok, heat the butter and fry the mushrooms for 5-7 minutes, or until slightly softened.
- Sprinkle over the flour and cook for a further minute. Add the sherry, half the vegetable stock, and the thyme. Season well and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
- Add the cream and lemon juice to the mushroom broth and simmer for a further five minutes, adding extra vegetable stock if the broth looks too thick. (The broth should be like a thick gravy).
- Cut the scrubbed potatoes into small, even sized pieces. Place into a saucepan, cover with water and cook until tender.
- Drain well, return to the saucepan, and mash with the buttermilk. Season with nutmeg, salt and freshly ground black pepper and keep warm.
- In a large frying pan or wok, heat the olive oil and fry the leek briskly for two minutes.
- Add the shredded cabbage and stir fry over a high heat for 2-3 minutes or until just tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- To serve, ladle the broth into four warmed, large soup plates. Place a scoop of creamy mashed potato in the centre of the broth and top the potato with a flourish of spicy cabbage.