One of the joys of living where I do is regular access to ailou, a whipped fresh cream cheese drowning in garlic and herbs. It's perfect on bread, served as a dip, and added to all sorts of egg dishes and cream sauces. Boursin and garlic and herb cream cheese can be used as replacements, but it won't be quite the same.
This sauce is another one dreamt up by my daughter to use up our seemingly endless bounty of walnuts. She serves it with pasta, on polenta, or with grilled chicken or pork.
100g garlic and herb cream cheese (preferably ailou)
2 large handfuls toasted walnuts, roughly chopped
150g tub creme fraiche
150g mushrooms, sliced (preferably an earthy variety like cep or portobello)
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp olive oil
70g flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
1. Heat up the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed frying pan over a medium heat. When it begins to shimmer, add the mushrooms, stirring to coat with the oil.
2. Cook gently, stirring often, until the mushrooms have halved in mass. Add the garlic and cook for two minutes, stirring constantly.
3. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the cream cheese, stirring to help it melt. Add the creme fraiche in small quantities, stirring all the time, until the sauce has reached your desired consistency.
4. Take the sauce off the heat, stir in the walnuts and parsley, and serve.
This sauce is another one dreamt up by my daughter to use up our seemingly endless bounty of walnuts. She serves it with pasta, on polenta, or with grilled chicken or pork.
100g garlic and herb cream cheese (preferably ailou)
2 large handfuls toasted walnuts, roughly chopped
150g tub creme fraiche
150g mushrooms, sliced (preferably an earthy variety like cep or portobello)
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp olive oil
70g flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
1. Heat up the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed frying pan over a medium heat. When it begins to shimmer, add the mushrooms, stirring to coat with the oil.
2. Cook gently, stirring often, until the mushrooms have halved in mass. Add the garlic and cook for two minutes, stirring constantly.
3. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the cream cheese, stirring to help it melt. Add the creme fraiche in small quantities, stirring all the time, until the sauce has reached your desired consistency.
4. Take the sauce off the heat, stir in the walnuts and parsley, and serve.