A Hobbit’s Feast
Once you’ve finished the first breakfast of your hobbit’s feast, naturally you’re going to want to follow it up with second breakfast! This medley of wild mushrooms with sherry on cheese toast is the perfect hobbit snack featuring their favourite food – Farmer Maggot’s wild mushrooms!
Second Breakfast
The ingenious concept of second breakfast shot to fame with the release of the 2001 film The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. As the fellowship is setting out on their adventure, Pippin is horrified to learn that Aragorn has no intention of stopping for second breakfast – nor any other of the 7 hobbit meals for that matter! Luckily, we are not on a quest to destroy a magic ring and save Middle Earth, and so we are free to indulge in as many breakfasts as we desire. For our second breakfast of the day we’ll be feasting on one of every hobbit’s favourite food: wild mushrooms.
A Shortcut to Mushrooms
While it was Merry and Pippin that are caught stealing from Farmer Maggot’s crops in the film version, in the novel it was actually Frodo who stole mushrooms from Farmer Maggot as a child. Shortly after the hobbits set out on their adventure they are hosted by Farmer Maggot and his wife for a dinner of hearty hobbit food, including mushrooms!
All is clearly forgiven as Frodo is gifted a basket of mushrooms to take with them on their journey.
Suddenly Frodo laughed: from the covered basket that he held, the scent of mushrooms was rising.
-The Fellowship of the Ring (Chapter 4, A Shortcut to Mushrooms)
It is abundantly clear that no hobbit party would be complete without mushrooms in one form or another. This dish of wild mushrooms with sherry on cheese toast is the perfect mid-morning snack – full of flavour and rich and satisfying.
Ingredient Notes for Wild Mushrooms on Cheese Toast
Wild mushrooms: I like using a variety of mushrooms for this dish. It adds a lot of textural and aesthetic contrast; however, you could use any kind of mushroom that you prefer. I suggest using cremini for at least half of the mushrooms and then adding a few other varieties to round it out. There are so many great mushroom options to choose from: oyster, king trumpet, shiitake, shimeji, chanterelle, morel etc.
Sherry: A dash of sherry adds depth of flavour to these mushrooms and prevents them from drying out.
Cheese: I like using a blend of cheeses for these toasts. A sharp English cheddar adds amazing flavour while creamy, mild fontina cheese adds a wonderful meltiness and contrast to the cheddar. You could substitute the fontina for mozzarella or Monterey jack – any mild, melting cheese would be great.
Mustard: I use Dijon mustard to add a zesty bite to the cheese toast. Feel free to use your favourite mustard instead.
Worcestershire sauce: A popular English condiment, Worcestershire packs a big flavour punch. A few dashes are all you will need.
Sourdough bread: This is my preferred type of bread for this application. Any other crusty bread will work as well.
How to make Wild Mushrooms on Cheese Toast
While this is a relatively simple recipe, it is helpful to gather all your ingredients so they are ready to go for the last-minute cooking of the mushrooms.
Prep the ingredients
Wash and slice all of the mushrooms. Mince the garlic and save half of one clove for rubbing over the toast. Chop the parsley and set aside.
Make the cheese mixture
In a bowl, add the two shredded cheeses. Stir together and then add the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and pepper. Mix the ingredients together well and then set aside.
Bake the toasts
Preheat the oven to 425 deg F / 218 deg C. Place the slices of bread on a baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes until they begin to look toasted. Take the bread out and immediately rub the half clove of garlic over each piece. Discard garlic after using. Turn the oven to broil on high.
Sauté the mushrooms
Gather the remaining ingredients near the skillet while you’re cooking the mushrooms – the sherry, lemon juice, butter, parsley, kosher salt, and pepper.
In a large skillet over medium high heat, add 1 tbsp each of olive oil and butter. Add the mushrooms along with a generous pinch of salt. Cook quickly, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are softened and just beginning to brown.
When the mushrooms are cooked and just beginning to brown, add the minced garlic. Sauté for 1 minute, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant. Stand back and carefully add the sherry to the skillet. Stir the mushrooms in the pan, scrapping up any brown bits on the skillet.
Add the lemon juice, another tbsp of butter, and a generous pinch of kosher salt and pepper while stirring constantly. Cook for another minute just until the mushrooms are heated through and the sherry has thickened slightly.
Turn off the heat and add some of the chopped parsley.
Broil the cheese toasts
Spread the cheese mixture in a thick layer on top of each slice of bread. Arrange the bread on a baking sheet. Broil on high for 3 to 4 minutes, watching closely, until the cheese is melted, bubbling, and just beginning to brown. Take out from the oven.
Assemble and Serve Wild Mushrooms on Cheese Toast
To serve this dish, transfer a piece of the cheese toast to a plate. Top with a generous helping of the sherried mushrooms and sprinkle with more chopped fresh parsley. Enjoy!
A Hobbit’s Feast
- First Breakfast: Savoury Dutch Baby with Tomatoes, Sausages, and Bacon
- Second Breakfast: Wild Mushrooms on Cheese Toast
- Elevenses: White Braided Bread with Whipped Brie, Berries, and Honey
- Luncheon: Beef, stout and barley soup, Ploughman’s Lunch, and Blackberry Almond Tart with Honey Whipped Mascarpone
- Afternoon Tea: Miruvor, Lavender Lembas bread, and Spiced Mead Honey Cake
- Dinner: Cider Braised Rabbit with Herbs
- Supper: Beer-Battered Fish and Chips
- Dessert: Hazelnut Meringue Cake with Strawberries and Cream
Let me know what you think about the recipe, or hobbit food generally!
Follow along on Instagram @rhubarbandlavender for my Hobbit’s Feast reel series, and make sure to tag me if you make one of my recipes!
