sauce essentials: versatile mushroom sauce

How To Make sauce essentials: versatile mushroom sauce

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  1

  PREP/PREPARE
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  2

  THE MUSHROOM BASE
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  3

  Gather Your Ingredients.
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  4

  Stem, clean, and chop the mushrooms.
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  5

  Chef’s Tip: Don’t chop too thinly; you want nice big pieces of tasty mushrooms for this sauce.
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  6

  Add the butter to a sauté pan over medium heat.
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  7

  After the butter has stopped foaming, add the onions.
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  8

  Sauté until the onions have softened, about 5 – 7 minutes.
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  9

  Add the garlic, and continue to sauté until fragrant, about 30 – 60 seconds.
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  10

  Add the chopped mushrooms, and reduce the heat to medium low.
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  11

  Slowly stir the mixture until the mushrooms begin to brown, and release their moisture, about 8 – 10 minutes.
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  12

  Add the salt, pepper, cumin, and paprika.
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  13

  Combine with the mixture, remove from heat, and reserve in the pan.
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  14

  THE ROUX AND LIQUID
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  15

  Gather your ingredients.
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  Add the butter to a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat.
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  When the foaming subsides, add the flour, and whisk to combine.
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  18

  Continue to whisk until the mixture (roux) is a nice brown color.
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  Add the milk and stock, and whisk as the liquid comes up to a simmer.
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  20

  Chef’s Tip: Never add a hot stock to a hot roux, or you will get lots of little lumps. The stock should be at room temperature. I usually combine the milk, and the stock in a bowl, and add them at the same time.
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  21

  Reduce the heat to medium low, and whisk as the mixture thickens, about 2 – 4 minutes.
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  Add the reserved mushroom/onion/garlic mixture, and stir to combine.
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  Bring the pot back to a simmer, and cook for an additional 10 – 12 minutes.
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  24

  ADDITIONAL ITEMS
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  Add the sour cream and the dill, and stir to combine.
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  Chef’s Note: These are optional items; however, they really brighten up the sauce.
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  27

  Chef’s Note: Do a final tasting for proper seasoning.
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  Chef’s Note: When the weather turns decidedly colder, I like to add a pinch or two of cayenne.
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  PLATE/PRESENT
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  SERVING SUGGESTIONS
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  Serve over a big plate of homemade egg noodles.
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  Spoon over a nice fried pork chop, steak… or even chicken.
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  How about ladling some over a nice pile of garlic mash potatoes.
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  34

  Thin the mixture out a bit with additional beef stock, or heavy cream and serve as mushroom soup. This makes an excellent starter for your next soiree.
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  35

  Keep the faith, and keep cooking.
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