Fricando
Four servings: 800 g of beef cut into steaks of 50-60 g each; 30-50 g of
dried up mushrooms (Marasmius oreades, also known as scotch bonnet or
fairy ring mushroom); 1 onion, finely chopped; 3 tbsp of tomato purée; 750
cc of mineral water; a glass of brandy; salt & black pepper.
Preparation: First, it is of the utmost interest to have the mushrooms
soaked in the specified amount of water for at least 6 hours (this is to
extract the organoleptic properties of the mushrooms, which will pass to
the water; don't ever use hot water).
Salt and pepper the steaks, dredge them in flour (cover them properly but
reject the excess). Star by frying the meat in a casserole with olive oil (6-8
tbsp); it must be done on a medium fire, although trying not to overheat
the oil in excess as the other ingredient will be later added to this oil. Once
the meat has been fried and has browned a bit, add the onion and give a
good stir to deglaze the flour on the bottom, which is now brown and which
will give color to the final sauce. Let the onion simmer for 10-15 minutes on
a medium-to-low heat, and rehydrate with some of the water in which the
mushrooms were soaked (now the mushrooms must be sieved and kept
aside, and the water must have a slight brownish color).
Next, add the tomato, stir again, and let simmer for another ten minutes
(rehydrate if necessary). Now, add the meat and the mushrooms, stir it all,
add the brandy (do not flambé) and cover with a lid. Stew the preparation
for 2 minutes, and finally add the water with no lid on. The remaining time
of cooking will, more or less, be 60 minutes.
The photo on the left side of the recipe shows the mushroom in their dry
presentation.