MUSHROOM SAUTÉ

A quick and simple mushroom sauté is a great addition to any main entree or companion to any of your favorite sautéed vegetables. We use this as a base to serve a nice piece of roasted chicken or grilled steak, as a topping for pizza, with other vegetables, or in our pastas. These delicious little fungi can become whatever you can imagine!

There is something about this fifth basic taste that fulfills the palette’s desire for umami — along with sweet, sour, bitter, and salty. Packed with nutrients and antioxidants, these hearty, meat-like, little morsels can be the star of the show or quietly melt into the background, leaving our tastebuds yearning for more.

Mushroom Sauté

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American, French, Italian, Mediterranean

Servings 2

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 Shallot Finely Chopped
• 3 Cloves Garlic Finely chopped or Grated
• 3 Cups Mushrooms Sliced, see notes
• 2 Tbsp Fresh Herbs, (according to season) Thyme and/or Oregano are always good. We add chopped sage in the fall.
• 1/2 Cup White Wine or Vermouth or Stock, (chicken or vegetable)
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1 Green Onion, or Chives to garnish Can also use fresh chopped Parsley
• Lemon Zest, to garnish
• 2 Tbsp Butter Optional

Instructions

 

• Using a large skillet over medium heat, heat the pan for about 30 seconds, and then add the Olive Oil. Give the oil about 30 seconds to heat up and then add the Shallot. Cook covered for 2-3 minutes until softened.

  *(if they start to get brown, take the pan off the heat for a few seconds and reduce the heat to low. Allow them to slowly sweat without browning.)
• Add the Garlic and continue to cook until Garlic is softened, about 1-2 minutes.
• Add the Mushrooms and Thyme, (and/or your choice of herbs). Stir to combine with the cooked Shallot and Garlic. Cover and cook for about a 5 minutes, until the Mushrooms begin to release some of their moisture.
• Add the White Wine, stir, and allow to reduce, (uncovered), until there is barely any liquid left in the pan. About 3 minutes, until the mushrooms are cooked to your liking.

  **Optional: Add 1-2 Tbsp. of butter after the wine is absorbed, swirling the pan to emulsify the butter. This adds a more luxurious flavor and texture. (It is also Clay’s preferred method.)
• OPTIONS:

  ADD VEGETABLES: The addition of other vegetables also makes this a great side. We often use zucchini, squash, broccolini, cauliflower, spinach, etc. Whatever you like. Add them in after you add the wine. Zucchini and Squash only need 2-3 minutes to cook. Things like Broccoli and Cauliflower need to be parboiled for 2-3 minutes prior to adding.

  SAUCE: If you want to make this into a “sauce”, add about 1/2 Cup of cream just after the wine cooks off and reduce it until it’s the consistency you desire. Alternatively, you could add about 1/4-1/2 Cup of sour cream or yogurt to obtain a thicker sauce, which is great over pasta, polenta, or toast … or anything!

Notes

MUSHROOMS: We use a variety of mushrooms when making this dish. We regularly incorporate Shiitake, but also have used various combinations of Cremini, Maitake, Chantrelle, Lobster Mushrooms, “Hen-of-the-Woods”, Morels, etc.  We usually have a variety in our grocery store, and select what looks interesting to us at the moment. 

TO CLEAN: Most experts recommend only brushing mushrooms with a kitchen towel or a more delicate vegetable brush. That said, (and being the clean-freak I am), I’ve been known to gently, (and briefly), wash my mushrooms in a colander, immediately patting them dry just before preparing them. So far, no “Mushroom Police” have shown up at my door!

TRIM: Before cooking, trim off any tough stems or bottoms.

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