Sweet spiced mushroom and rice pilaf

Step 1

Preheat oven to 220 C fan

Step 2

Place the ancho chillies in a bowl and cover with boiling water. leave for 20 minutes to rehydrate. Drain and roughly chop.

Step 3

Place dried porcini mushrooms, vegetable stock, 350ml water, 1 1/4 teaspoons salt and a generous grinding of black pepper into a saucepan. Bring to a simmer on a medium heat. Set aside.

Step 4

Place portobello and oyster mushrooms, onion, garlic cloves, chopped chillies, whole spices, apricots, 120ml olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt and a good grind of pepper into a roasting tin. Stir everything together and bake for 40 minutes. Stir halfway. The mixture should be well browned by now.

Step 5

Remove from the oven in order to transfer half the mixture to a bowl. Now stir the drained rice into the roasting tin with the remaining mixture. Set aside.

Step 6

Bring the porcini mixture back to a simmer and pour it into the roasting tin, over the rice mixture. Do not stir. Cover well with foil and bake for 25 minutes. The rice should now be cooked through. Remove and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Then remove the foil and mix gently.

Step 7

Add the spring onions and the parsley and two tablespoons of oil to the reserved mushroom mixture. Stir to combine. Spoon it over the rice.