This is a vegetarian update of the an earlier post of Anthony Bourdain’s beef version. This comes from Melissa Clark in NYTimes Cooking and it’s a mushroom lovers paradise – perhaps even overload. Make this when you can get various different types of fresh mushrooms – cremini, shiitake, white button, chanterelle. It has a deep flavor that very much celebrates the mushrooms in every way. An optional finish would be to fry a few chanterelle at end to place cleanly on top for serving. We served this on top of mashed potatoes for a hearty winter evening meal.
For this you’ll need: Cremini, shiitake, white button mushrooms (about 2 cups each, thinly sliced), 2 cups whole pearl onions or 1 white onion (chopped), 4-6 Tbsp unsalted butter, 1 large leek (halved and chopped), 2 large carrots (peeled and thickly sliced), 3 garlic cloves (x2 chopped, x1 grated), 1 Tbsp tomato paste, 2-1/2 Tbsp flour, 1-1/2 cups red wine (any full bodied), 1-1/2 cups vegetable stock, 1 Tbsp soy sauce, several fresh thyme and rosemary branches (tied into a garni), x1 cup chanterelle or shiitake mushrooms (optional for serving), parsley, olive oil, salt, pepper.
In a large dutch oven over medium-high heat, place 1 Tbsp olive oil and 1 Tbsp butter. Cook the sliced mushrooms in batches only with the onions – possibly as many as three batches to avoid overcrowding – until browned on both sides. About 5-8 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a separate plate and season with salt and pepper. Add oil and butter to the pot as needed and cook the the next batch.
Once all of the sliced mushrooms and onions have been browned and placed, seasoned, on a separate plate, reduce the heat, add another glug of oil and another Tbsp of butter to the pot and cook the carrots and leeks over medium heat until just browning and beginning to soften – about 3-5 mins.
Add the chopped garlic and stir well to combine until fragrant – about 1 min – then add the tomato paste and combine well again – another 1 minute. Stir in the flour until the whole mixture is well combined and bit of a sticky mess – another minute or so. Add the stock, wine , soy sauce and garni and scrape up all of the brown bits at the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Bring the entire mixture back to a simmer and cook, partially covered and stirring occasionally for another 30-40 mins over low heat until the carrots are softened.
For serving – slice the chanertelles/shiitakes and fry in butter/oil until browned on both sides – about 5-8 mins. You can even deglaze the pan once the mushrooms are brown with some white wine.
Place the stew on top of a bed of mashed potatoes , top with chopped fresh parsley and placed the fried mushrooms on top.
Dinner at Our Place 