starting again

Okay, okay, Mushroom Lasagne is not really New Year's Resolution type of food. Well, it would be if this were 2011.

Last year, I resolved to start a Sunday Suppers thing where I would make some massive, warm, comforting dinner, inviting a few friends over and have a dinner party. I didn't do that. Not once. Ask me if I kept even one of my resolutions last year. Oops.

But 2011 would be very proud of me. Our friend Greg came by to help with this lasagna (impossibly creamy and worth the nearly two hours of prep for all the chopping and grating and bechamel making - next time might be a good time to buy the pre-sliced mushrooms and pre-grated cheese), and Dinner Party #1 is in the books. Who's up for DP2?

Mushroom Lasagne
adapted from Yotam Ottolenghi's Plenty

1 1/2 oz. dried porcini mushrooms
1 3/4 c. boiling water
10 T. butter, divided
1 T. thyme leaves
2 lbs. cremini mushrooms, sliced
2 T. chopped tarragon
4 T. chopped parsley
salt and pepper
1 shallot, chopped
scant 1/2 c. flour
2 1/3 c. milk
13 oz. ricotta
1 large egg
5 oz. feta, crumbled
6 oz. Gruyere, grated
1 lb. no-boil lasagna noodles
5 oz. fontina or mozzarella, grated
1/2 c. grated Parmesan

1. Cover the porcini with the boiling water and let soak for 5 minutes. Drain in a sieve set over a bowl, reserving the liquid.

2. Melt 5 T. of the butter in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan. When foaming, add the thyme, porcini and fresh mushrooms. Cook for 8 minutes, or until the mushrooms have softened, and the liquid they exude has evaporated, stirring occasionally. Off the heat, stir in the tarragon, parsley and some salt and pepper. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

3. Use the same pan to make the bechamel. Put the remaining butter and shallot in the pan and cook on medium heat for about a minute. Add the flour and continue cooking, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes; the mix will turn into a paste but shouldn't color much. Gradually whisk in the milk, and porcini soaking liquid, leaving any grit in the bowl. Add 1/2 t. salt and continue whisking until boiling. Simmer on low heat, stirring constantly, for about 10 minutes, or until the sauce is thickish. Remove from the heat.

4. In a small bowl, mix together the ricotta and egg, then fold in 3 T. of the bechamel and all of the feta. Add the Gruyere to the remaining bechamel in the pan and stir well to get your main sauce.

5. To assemble the lasagne, pour one-fifth of the sauce over the bottom of an ovenproof dish that is aout 10x14 inches. Cover with lasagne noodles. Spread one-quarter of the ricotta mix on top, scatter over one-quarter of the mushrooms and sprinkle with one-quarter of the fontina. Make three more layers in the same way, then finish with the bechamel.

6. Sprinkle the Parmesan on top and cover loosely with foil. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbling around the sides. Lift off the foil and bake for a futher 10 minutes, or until the top turns golden. Remove from the oven and leave to rest for 10 minutes before serving.