Meatballs and shitake

One Sunday in March I walked the market in La Croix Russe in Lyon (Saturdays they have the organic market day) and spotted beautiful shitake mushrooms, larger than usual yet so natural that you could picture them growing in a small family farm (as they were). I bought the last two boxes. A few days later while wandering around another market, I saw a woman buying minced beef from a farm I like. I stole her idea. When I got home, I mashed the meat with freshly bought herbs, cut up the mushrooms, and voila! Dinner was served. You can omit the meatballs and serve just mushrooms as they are very pleasing on their own.

mushrooms:
380 g shitake mushrooms, sliced
30 g butter
40 ml mild extra virgin oil
1 tsp finely chopped rosemary
4 garlic cloves, grated
200 ml vegetable or chicken stock
sea salt to taste
freshly ground pepper to taste
1 small handful of parsley leaves, chopped a bit

meatballs:
500 g ground beef (with some percent of fat)
1 tbsp finely chopped rosemary
1 tbsp finely chopped parsley
1 tsp thyme leaves
1 tbsp finely chopped basil
4 garlic cloves, grated
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp freshly ground pepper to taste
1 medium egg
25 ml mild extra virgin olive oil


In a bowl, mix all the meatball ingredients (except oil) and roll balls into the size you prefer. 

Heat the pan, add balls, and cook on medium-high heat, turning them from time to time, until ready. 

In the meantime, heat another pan and add oil and butter. When the butter has melted, add mushrooms. Fry on a heat between medium and high, turning from time to time, until the mushrooms turn golden. When almost ready, add rosemary, garlic, and stock and mix. Season with salt and pepper. Add parsley and combine. There are still should be some liquid in the pan. If it has evaporated faster than you expected, add a bit more. 

Serve balls topped with mushrooms.