Who is Claire Thomson?
Claire Thomson is a chef and food writer with a remarkable ability to make everyday ingredients exciting. Known for her approachable yet inventive cooking, she has authored several celebrated cookbooks including Home Cookery Year, Tomato and One Pan Chicken. A former restaurant chef, Claire now focuses on creating accessible, family-friendly recipes that bring exciting global flavours to the home cook. Her writing often appears in The Guardian and Good Food, where she has developed a following for her warm, clever voice and unfussy food. She also has a popular Instagram account @5oclockapron and podcast.
What is Mushroom’s USP?
Mushroom is a love letter to fungi in all their forms, a wide-ranging and flavour-led celebration of one of the most versatile ingredients in the kitchen. Whether working with humble closed-cup mushrooms or more luxurious porcini, Thomson places fungi at the centre of the plate, treating them with the attention and respect usually reserved for meat or fish.
What will I love?
The breadth of recipes is impressive, yet the collection avoids novelty for novelty’s sake. Dishes are thoughtful, achievable and rooted in comfort while remaining inventive. Chapters include: Soups, Salads, Fried & Grilled, Braised & Stovetop, Baked & Roasted, and Condiments. Recipes range from the familiar to the unexpected – buttery pastry galettes and warming risottos sit alongside fragrant biryanis, umami-rich burgers and spiced goulash. The recipes are written in Thomson’s signature accessible, engaging tone, with many accompanied by beautiful photography that is striking without being overly stylised.
Is it good bedtime reading?
Yes. The introduction is both informative and personal, offering insight into Thomson’s passion for mushrooms and setting a reflective, engaging tone. Recipe introductions are concise yet warm, providing context and encouragement without detracting from the recipe itself. It is the perfect book on a blustery autumn afternoon, curled up in a chair with a cup of something warm and a mind half-dreaming of garlic and butter.
Will I have trouble finding the ingredients?
No. While there are references to more specialist mushrooms such as maitake, enoki and ceps, the recipes are easily adaptable to commonly available varieties — closed cup, chestnut, portobello or dried porcini. Thomson is careful to provide substitutions and alternatives, ensuring accessibility for the home cook. Like all her books, Mushroom is rooted in home kitchens, not restaurant larders.
Stand out recipes?
Highlights include:
- Sautéed Mushrooms with Clotted Cream and Poached Egg – a luxurious reworking of the humble mushrooms on toast. The clotted cream enriches the sauce, creating a silky texture that pairs beautifully with the runny egg yolk. Versatile enough for breakfast, brunch, lunch or supper, it transforms a simple dish into something memorable, yet remains straightforward to prepare.
- Chicken and Hazelnut Kyiv with Porcini Butter – a clever twist on the classic. The porcini butter brings a deep savoury intensity, while the hazelnuts form a crisp, nutty crust. Indulgent but not intimidating, it offers restaurant sophistication without unnecessary complexity.
- Porcini Gnocchi with Fried Garlic Mushrooms – impressive in both presentation and flavour, but made approachable through Thomson’s clear instructions. The gnocchi, infused with porcini, are earthy and delicate, while the fried garlic mushrooms add contrast and bite. Designed to impress, yet achievable for the home cook.
- Harry’s Bar Sandwich (Just Add Mushrooms!) – a hearty nod to the iconic Venetian sandwich, reimagined with mushrooms taking centre stage. Rich, warming and substantial, it’s the kind of dish you crave on a chilly autumn or winter day.
- Mushroom Risotto with Vermouth and Grated Chestnuts – a classic with subtle refinement. Aromatic vermouth and grated chestnuts lend depth and texture, producing comfort food that feels elegant as well as satisfying.
How often will I cook from the book?
If mushrooms are your thing — even just occasionally — this could become a core part of your cookbook rotation. There is a recipe for every meal and occasion, from breakfast through to supper – whether a quick midweek fix or an impressive dinner-party centrepiece. In warmer summer months, enjoy the Mushroom and Asparagus Tart, while the Hungarian Mushroom Goulash and Mushroom, Chicken and Butter Bean Stroganoff are both perfect for when you want a hearty winter warmer. You’ll find yourself thinking, What mushrooms do I have?, not What can I do with them?
Any negatives?
Strict vegetarians may be disappointed by the inclusion of meat-based recipes, though there is a strong selection of plant-based dishes. The only other minor criticism is that additional photography of finished dishes would have been welcome.
Should I buy the book?
If you have even the faintest fondness for mushrooms, this book deserves a place on your shelf. It is practical, imaginative and quietly celebratory; a reminder that the simplest ingredients can inspire the most rewarding cooking. The recipes are accessible, clear and flexible, never reliant on elaborate or hard-to-source ingredients, which makes them as realistic for everyday suppers as they are for special occasions.
Cuisine: International
Suitable for: All cooking abilities – particularly anyone who enjoys mushrooms, or wants to learn to love them.
Great for fans of: Darina Allen, Antonio Carluccio and Theo Randall
Cookbook review rating: 5 stars
Buy the book: Mushroom by Claire Thomson, Quadrille, £22.00
This review was written by Freelance Food Writer and Recipe Developer Sophie Knox Richmond. Follow her on Instagram on @sophie_kr_food.
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