By Bernadette Kathryn, LMT, IHLC

 

Ummm Mushrooms!  This is a classic mushroom preparation that we learned in school and as you might have guessed ~ I don’t really do it the way we learned in culinary school, it’s a little time consuming for me and the quick version that I go to gives me all the flavor with out all the fuss. If and when I might need or want this recipe for a catered event like we did for my friend David Winkler at Ana Tzarev Gallery on 5th Avenue ~ I promise to do it the proper way with all the careful knife skills that I spent much time working on!

 

For my everyday cooking, when I am stretched for time and really want the flavor – I roast the mushrooms first, then pulse chop them in the food processor, then I put them in the pan with shallots, a little lemon or wine, s/p and cover them with a cartouche, which is a paper lid with a hole in the middle which is used to slow down the reduction of moisture and give the food more time to cook fully and develop the flavor without burning.


 


 

Living Fit Game - Mushroom Duxelle

 

First, it’s really important to clean your mushrooms well.  I like to take the dark gills out of the portabello mushrooms and use a damp cloth to clean all the mushrooms, making sure they are free from dirt.

 


Living Fit Game - Mushroom Duxelle

I always take the stems out of my mushrooms and save for another purpose like mushroom soup or stock. Then after cleaning the mushrooms, I place them on a parchment lined sheet tray and spray with a little bit of coconut oil and sprinkle with s/p and roast in a hot oven (350-400•) for approximately 20-25 minutes.

 


 

Living Fit Game - Mushroom Duxelle

After roasting and cooling the mushrooms, I finely chop a shallot or two, depending on how many mushrooms I have and what I am making.  Sometimes I will add garlic too.  I always add a tablespoon of butter, either lemon juice or white wine to the pan and cover with the cartouche to complete the cooking.  If I decide to make mushroom soup, I will add dry sherry to the mushrooms and stock while in the stock pot, that gives the soup a really nice flavor!

 


 

Living FitGame - Mushroom Duxelle

After cooking, I like to store the mushrooms in a pyrex glass container for future use. I like the meaty flavor of the mushrooms to add to the Vegetarian Chili, Light Lasagna, Chicken Roulade, Frittatas, and Mushroom Soup. The number of different ways one can use these Mushroom Duxelle is limited only by your imagination! This set up is for the Light Lasagna assembly ~ with the classic tomato sauce, sautéed leeks, chicken sausage and mushroom duxelle.