Stilton-Stuffed Mushrooms with Cranberry Relish

Ingredients:

For the mushrooms:

300ml vegetable oil, for deep frying
40 mushrooms (approx 4-5 per person)
200g Stilton cheese, crumbled
100g plain flour
3 free-range eggs, beaten
100g fresh breadcrumbs

For the salad:

80g fresh basil
50g fresh chives, chopped
80g fresh parsley
200g spinach
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the cranberry relish:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
6 tablespoons brown sugar
100g cranberries

Method:

1. For the mushrooms, place the vegetable oil into a deep, heavy-bottomed saucepan, and heat until a small cube of bread sizzles and turns golden when dropped into it.

2. Remove the stalks from the mushrooms and discard. Place a spoonful of crumbled Stilton cheese onto each mushroom on the stalk side.

3. Place the flour, beaten egg and breadcrumbs into three separate bowls. Dip each mushroom into each bowl in turn, shaking off any excess.

4. Carefully place the mushrooms into the hot oil and deep-fry for three to four minutes, or until golden-brown. Remove from the oil using a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.

5. For the salad, place the basil, chives, parsley and spinach into a large bowl. Drizzle with the balsamic vinegar and oil. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste, and mix well to coat the leaves.

6. For the cranberry relish, heat the oil in a saucepan. Place the onion, vinegar, sugar and cranberries into the pan, and cook for five to six minutes.

7. To serve, place the salad onto a plate with the mushrooms on top, with the relish spooned over.

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