DUXELLES
About ½ cup
This concentrated mushroom-onion mixture is wonderful folded into scrambled eggs or omelets, stuffed under the skin of chicken, spooned onto mashed potatoes, or simply spread on toast. Squeezing all the moisture out of the chopped mushrooms is not essential, but it will help them brown more quickly in the pan. Mycologist and winemaker Michael Beug recommends using riesling with this recipe, especially with wild mushrooms like chanterelles.
Chop very fine or pulse in a food processor until they resemble oatmeal:
- 8 ounces mushrooms
Squeeze about ½ cup of the mushrooms at a time in a thin cotton towel, wringing them very hard to extract their juices. The mushrooms will be in a solid lump if you have squeezed hard enough.
Melt in a medium skillet over medium-high heat until the foam subsides:
- 2 tablespoons butter
Add and cook briefly, until softened:
- ¼ cup minced shallots, onions, or green onions (white part only)
Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until they have begun to brown and there is very little liquid left, 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in:
- 2 tablespoons dry sherry, dry red or white wine, Madeira, or port
Cook until completely evaporated. Stir in:
- (¼ cup heavy cream)
- (Finely grated zest of ½ lemon)
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Pinch of dried thyme or grated or ground nutmeg
Let cool. Refrigerate in a covered container for up to 10 days or freeze for up to 3 months.