These delicately flavoured ravioli filled with mushroom caviar are delicious served with a quick and tasty broth.

Ingredients

Pasta

• 3 cups flour
• 3 eggs
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons cold water

Mushroom caviar

• 250 grams mushrooms, gourmet brown, flat or field
• 4 spring onions, trimmed of tough green ends
• 1 clove garlic, peeled
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons brandy
• 2 tablespoons cream or sour cream

Winter herb broth

• 4 cups chicken stock
• ½ leek
• 1 carrot
• 1 cup Italian parsley leaves
• a few sprigs of savory or thyme
• 2 tablespoons Madeira, optional

Method

1. Put the flour and salt into a food processor and pulse to sift. Add the eggs, olive oil and water and process until the mixture forms a dough. Depending on the flour you use, you may need to use a little more water or flour to achieve a dough that rolls easily around the bowl of the processor. Process for one minute.
2. Turn the dough out, bring together and cover with flour-dusted plastic wrap. Leave for 30 minutes.
3. Roll out the dough to about 1mm thick. Cut lengths of dough long and wide enough to place on top of a flour-dusted ravioli maker, and brush with a little water.
4. Place a teaspoon of mushroom caviar in the centre of each ravioli. Place a second sheet of pasta on top, roll over to seal and cut the edges.
5. Repeat with the remaining dough and caviar. The pasta dough can be re-rolled. Simply place leftover bits on top of each other in long strips and roll together. (Leave a while after rolling, for dough to shrink).
6. Keep the prepared ravioli on a flour-dusted sheet of paper and make sure that they do not touch each other.
7. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil and simmer the ravioli for five mintues. Serve in wide bowls ladled with the winter herb broth.

Winter herb broth

1. Boil stock and reduce to a simmer. Wash and finely slice the leek. Peel the carrot, then with the peeler continue to peel the carrot into long, thin strips. Add the leek and carrot to the broth and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the herbs and Madeira and season.

Mushroom caviar

1. Wipe the mushrooms and chop finely. Chop the spring onions and garlic finely. (You can do this in a food processor using the pulse button sparingly, so as not to turn the mushrooms into a puree. Pulsing allows a more even chopping texture, similar to doing it by hand).
2. Heat the oil in a frying pan and cook the mushrooms for about 2 minutes over a moderately high heat, stirring regularly.
3. Add the brandy and, if wished, flambe. When the flames have gone, pour in the cream and stir until combined. Season well with salt and pepper. Eat warm or cold. Keep in an airtight container in the fridge.

Cooks Tips

- Add 2 chopped sundried red peppers to the mushroom caviar stuffing - the flavour is great. - If you don't have a ravioli maker, roll the pasta to the size of an A4 sheet of paper and use a round biscuit cutter. Or simply use a knife to cut square ravioli.