Cacio e pepe semolina porridge with brown butter mushrooms
Feeling the chill? Try this warming semolina porridge with a cacio e pepe twist.
Serves 4
6 curly kale leaves, ribs removed
2 tsp olive oil
1L milk
¾ cup fine semolina
½ cup grated parmesan
½ cup grated pecorino
sea salt
1 tsp coarsely milled black pepper
80g butter
For brown butter mushrooms
80g butter
1 tbsp olive oil
500g Swiss brown mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 tsp thyme leaves
2 tbsp lemon juice
Preheat oven to 180C, coat kale leaves in olive oil, place onto an oven tray and roast until crisp, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool, then roughly crush.
Heat milk in a medium, heavy based saucepan and sprinkle in semolina and when it begins to simmer, whisk continuously. Continue to simmer and stir occasionally for 10 minutes.
Stir through cheeses (reserving ⅓ cup to garnish), pepper and butter and season with sea salt to taste.
Heat a medium frypan over medium to high heat, add a knob of the butter, olive oil, mushroom and thyme and saute until the mushrooms are browned. Set aside.
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Return the pan to the heat, add remaining butter and cook until nut brown in colour, add lemon juice and return mushrooms to the pan.
To serve, place a ladle of porridge into bowls and top with mushrooms and crispy kale. Add reserved grated cheese and drizzle with remaining brown butter.
This recipe first appeared in the March 2026 issue of SALIFE magazine.
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