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Mushroom Ragout

Source of Recipe

From "Basic to Brilliant, Y'all" by Virginia Willis


Recipe Introduction

"I once found a single morel in my backyard, so tiny it was about the size of a thimble. Encouraged to extend my mushroom cultivation, I purchased a shiitake log for about thirty-five dollars. Following the instructions, I soaked it and set it out in a shaded area. A few weeks later I harvested a few mushrooms. They were amazing. I waited for more, and nothing happened. I thought it was a little too much effort and money for a handful of mushrooms. Then, one day I was standing on the deck and noticed a squirrel flitting by with a shiitake mushroom in his mouth. I was being robbed! Being the country girl and chef that I am, all I could think of was how good that shiitake-fed squirrel would taste on a bed of fresh shiitake mushrooms."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 2 pounds mixed mushrooms (such as chanterelle, morel, portobello, cremini, oyster, and shiitake), trimmed
â—¦ 1 tablespoon canola oil
â—¦ 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
â—¦ 4 cloves garlic, mashed into a paste
â—¦ ¼ cup homemade chicken stock or reduced-fat, low-sodium chicken broth
â—¦ ¼ cup dry red wine
â—¦ 2 tablespoons heavy cream (optional)
â—¦ ¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
â—¦ Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper


Recipe

Cut medium-size mushrooms in half and large mushrooms into quarters.

Heat the oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and sauté until brown and just tender, about 10 minutes. Add the chicken stock, wine, and cream and bring to a boil. Cook, uncovered, until the mushrooms are fully tender and the sauce coats the mushrooms, about 5 minutes. Add the parsley and toss to coat. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper.

Serve immediately.

Serves 4 to 6