Fish

The combination of fish and mushrooms is rather modern in approach, at least in the Italian sense, although abroad, and especially in the Far East, these two items have long been eaten in partnership. In Europe in general, the pairing of fish with mushrooms is now used much more widely, and I am still discovering, through experimentation, both for my books and my restaurants, what excellent results can be achieved. For instance, I find mushrooms the perfect complement to fresh salmon and the delicate but firm white flesh of monkfish, halibut, turbot and Dover sole is ideal for cooking with fragrant wild mushrooms, since a good balance can be attained both in texture and in flavour. Dishes with mushrooms and fish can look appetising too, with the shapes and colours of certain mushrooms providing an attractive or even dramatic element of contrast. I tend not to use mushrooms with oily fish such as sardines or mackerel, as their richness calls for ingredients that act as a foil, not for the additional flavour of mushrooms.