Savoury mushroom and bean cake Recipe

Soak the porcini in cold water for 15 minutes. Dry them with kitchen paper and chop coarsely. If using field mushrooms just chop them finely without soaking.

Top and tail the beans and wash them. Plunge into plenty of boiling salted water and cook them for just over 5 minutes. Drain and refresh under cold water and then drain again thoroughly. Now chop coarsely by hand. Put the bread in a bowl, add the milk and leave to soak.

Preheat the oven to 180ºC/Gas Mark 4. Heat half the olive oil, the garlic, marjoram and parsley in a frying pan. Add the soaked porcini (or field mushrooms) and beans and sauté gently for 2-3 minutes. Squeeze the excess milk out of the bread, and add the bread to the bean mixture, crumbling it through your fingers. Continue to fry for 5 minutes.

Beat the eggs together lightly in a large bowl.

Crumble in the ricotta, then add the mascarpone, Parmesan, dried breadcrumbs and some salt and pepper.

Add the 4 tbsp of milk.

Now add the contents of the frying pan to the cheese bowl and mix thoroughly.

Taste and check the seasoning.

Grease a cake tin with a little of the remaining olive oil.

Sprinkle with enough breadcrumbs to cover the surface.

Spoon the bean mixture into the prepared tin and pour over the remaining olive oil in a thin stream.

Bake for about 40 minutes.

Allow to cool in the tin. Serve warm or cold.