Insalata di funghi (Mushroom salad)

I had always believed it would be a complete waste of delicious food to eat mushrooms while they were raw, and I was very dubious about this recipe until I tried it once. Now I do make an exception with this lovely salad and it became one of my favourite shroom recipes!! Even if you also a staunch believer of cooked shrooms, trying is believing!! :-D

Insalata di funghi (Mushroom salad)


Ingredients for 2:
-500g/1lb White button mushrooms (Champignones), the fresher and larger the better!
-generous bunch of rocket/arugula (roughly chopped)
-80g/3oz.of bresaola or speck, if neither is available good quality smoked ham or lean hard salami, thinly sliced then finely julienned.
-80g/3oz.of parmigiano or aged pecorino, thinly shaved (NOT finely grated)
-grated peel of 1 lemon + the rest of the lemon
-mild gourmet mustard (I use either french dijon with whole mustard seeds, or german/bavarian style sweet mustard)
-good quality Extra Virgine Olive Oil

Wash the mushrooms, remove the stems and save them for other recipes (sugo, omelette etc...). peel off the thin outer surface of the cap. Then slice them as thinly as possible, or with mandoline or food processor will greatly help the task!
Toss in the rocket, bresaola/speck, cheese and lemon zest, squeeze the lemon juice over, and blend everything gently.
Serve the salad into individual serving bowl/plate, then spoon on the mustard and a drizzle of the oil, blend it into the salad and enjoy!!