Soy sauce butter linguine with crispy shimeji

Instructions

1. Step 1

   Make the crispy shimeji mushrooms by heating a few centimetres of oil to 180°C

2. Step 2

   Trim off any discoloured roots at the base of the mushrooms and slice them lengthwise into slices

3. Step 3

   Mix together the flour, cornflour, salt, baking powder, pepper and paprika with 90ml water to make a smooth batter

4. Step 4

   Dip the mushrooms into the batter, making sure they’re coated, and allowing any excess batter to drip off

5. Step 5

   Fry for a couple of minutes or until golden brown all over, then drain on kitchen paper, and repeat with the remaining mushrooms

6. Step 6

   Cook the pasta in boiling salted water until al dente

7. Step 7

   Melt the butter in a frying pan and cook the garlic for a couple of minutes, stirring to ensure it doesn’t burn

8. Step 8

   Add the soy sauce and a ladleful of pasta water to make a silky sauce, then transfer the pasta to the frying pan and mix continuously so that the pasta absorbs some of the sauce and is well coated

9. Step 9

   Serve the pasta with the crispy mushrooms and scattered with the chives