Mary Berry’s Brioches with Wild Mushrooms and Watercress Recipe

This Mary Berry Brioches with Wild Mushrooms and Watercress recipe is an elegant and creamy recipe, which is made with wild mushrooms and watercress. It’s the perfect elegant appetizer, ready in about 20 minutes.

Mary Berry Brioches with Wild Mushrooms and Watercress Ingredients

• 30 g (1 oz) butter
• 250 g (8 oz) wild mushrooms, trimmed and sliced
• 60 g (2 oz) watercress, finely chopped, plus extra to garnish
• 4 tbsp double cream
• squeeze of lemon juice
• salt and black pepper
• 6 brioches

How To Make Mary Berry Brioches with Wild Mushrooms and Watercress

1. Cook the filling: Melt the butter in a large frying pan. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook over a high heat, stirring from time to time, for about 3 minutes or until all the liquid has evaporated. Add the chopped watercress, double cream, a squeeze of lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook just until the watercress is wilted.
2. Prepare the brioches: Carefully slice the tops off the brioches and set them aside. Using a small spoon or your fingers, hollow out the soft bread from the inside of the brioche bases, leaving a shell.
3. Assemble and serve: Spoon some of the warm mushroom and watercress mixture into each hollowed-out brioche. Transfer the filled brioches to warmed serving plates and replace their “lids”. Spoon the remaining mushroom mixture onto the plates beside the brioches and garnish with fresh watercress sprigs.

Recipe Tips

• What mushrooms are best? A mix of wild mushrooms like chanterelles, morels, or porcini will provide the best flavour. If you can’t find wild mushrooms, a mixture of chestnut and shiitake mushrooms is a great substitute.
• How do I hollow out the brioches without breaking them? Be gentle. After slicing off the top, use a small, sharp knife to carefully cut around the inside edge, leaving a border of about 1 cm. Then, use a teaspoon or your fingers to gently scoop out the soft centre.
• Can I make this ahead of time? It’s best served fresh. However, you can make the mushroom filling up to a day in advance and store it in the fridge. Reheat it gently before hollowing out and filling the brioches just before serving.
• What if I don’t have watercress? Finely chopped baby spinach or rocket (arugula) would be a good substitute, offering a similar peppery note.

What To Serve With Brioches with Wild Mushrooms

These rich and savory brioches are a perfect starter, best served with:

• A simple green salad with a light vinaigrette to cut through the richness.
• A glass of crisp, dry white wine like a Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc.

How To Store

• Best served immediately: This dish is intended to be eaten fresh while the brioches are soft and the filling is warm and creamy.
• Storing leftovers: If you have leftovers, store the filling separately from the brioches in the refrigerator. The hollowed-out brioches can become soggy if stored with the filling inside.

FAQs

• Can I use regular button mushrooms? You can, but the flavour will be much milder. Wild or chestnut mushrooms provide a deeper, earthier taste that is key to this dish.
• Is this a starter or a main course? This is typically served as a sophisticated starter or a light lunch dish due to its richness.
• Can I toast the brioches? Yes, for a slightly different texture, you can lightly toast the hollowed-out brioche shells and their lids in the oven for a few minutes until warm and slightly crisp before filling them.

Try More Recipes:

• Mary Berry Chèvre Croûtes Recipe
• Mary Berry’s Sun-dried Tomato Crostini Recipe
• Mary Berry Canapés Recipe

Mary Berry’s Brioches with Wild Mushrooms and Watercress Recipe

Course: AppetizersCuisine: British

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

10

minutes

Calories

295

kcal

Soft, hollowed-out brioches filled with a rich and creamy mixture of wild mushrooms and peppery watercress.

Ingredients

• 30 g (1 oz) butter
  

• 250 g (8 oz) wild mushrooms, sliced
  

• 60 g (2 oz) watercress, chopped
  

• 4 tbsp double cream
  

• Squeeze of lemon juice
  

• 6 brioches
  

• Salt and black pepper

Directions

• Melt butter in a pan. Cook mushrooms over high heat for 3 minutes until liquid evaporates.
  
• Add watercress, cream, lemon juice, and seasoning. Cook until watercress wilts.
  
• Slice the tops off the brioches and hollow out the bases.
  
• Spoon the mushroom mixture into the hollowed-out brioches.
  
• Place on warmed plates, replace the brioche tops, and spoon any remaining mixture alongside.
  
• Garnish with fresh watercress and serve immediately.