Pork, Porcini & Lentil Stroganoff - A Recipe by Jo Pratt

Preparation Method

Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.

1.    Put the dried mushrooms into a measuring jug and pour in boiling water until it reaches 450ml in the jug. Set aside and leave the mushrooms to rehydrate.
2.    For the rice, melt the butter in a heavy based braising casserole dish with a lid. Add the onion and bay leaf and cook gently for about 10 minutes until the onion has softened but not coloured. Stir in the rice. And once it is coated in the butter. Pour in the stock. Increase the heat, bring to the boil and cover with the lid. Put in the oven and cook for 20 minutes without removing the lid. Once cooked, remove from the oven, and leave to stand for about 5 minutes to continue to absorb any moisture in the pan.
3.   Meanwhile, to make the stroganoff, heat a large frying pan with the 1 tbsp olive oil. Gently cook sliced onion for about 5 minutes until softened. Stir in the garlic, cayenne pepper and paprika. Cook for about 30 seconds. Increase the heat, add the pork, and stir fry for a couple of minutes until the pork is starting to cook through.
4.    Stir in the lentils, red peppers, soaked porcini mushrooms and all the liquid. Bring to the simmer and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the spinach, a little at a time and stir until wilted.
Finally, stir in the Dijon mustard, sour cream and season with salt and pepper.
5.    Remove the lid from the rice pan, run a fork through the rice to separate the grains and serve alongside the stroganoff.

Switch it up…
Sliced beef or chicken are just as tasty as pork in the stroganoff cooked in the same way.

For a vegetarian version, swap the meat for 4 large portobello mushrooms, cut into thick slices and cook as above. In addition, you’ll need to swap the chicken stock for cooking the rice to vegetable stock. If you want this to be vegan friendly as well, use a plant-based sour cream or natural yoghurt in the stroganoff, and a plant-based butter in the rice.