Foodie Friday: Mouthwatering mixed mushroom medley recipe

I am a huge fan of mushrooms of all types, both wild and cultivated, and now is the best time of year to get your hands on them.

Today, we’re looking at how to make a wild and mixed mushroom sauté.

This dish can stand alone as a side, used as a pasta sauce or turned into a quiche.

LISTEN: Foodie Friday – Wild and mixed mushroom sauté

You might wonder why I would consider using maple syrup with mushrooms.

It’s an odd marriage, but a brilliant one.

The maple syrup together with the mushrooms gives an almost mysterious sweetness that is hard to pinpoint.  Go ahead, give this a go, you will love it.

What you need

• 1 cup dried wild mushrooms, crepes, porcini, or morels
• 2 cups hot water
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 large shallots, peeled and diced
• 1 leek, white part only, finely sliced
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 heaping teaspoon chilli paste, I prefer Côte d’Azur 2.0
• 1 teaspoon undiluted chicken paste, I prefer Major
• 5 cups mixed fresh mushrooms such as, shiitake, chanterelle, portobello, Shimeji, or your favorites, sliced
• 1/3 cup white wine
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons fresh, chopped tarragon or 2 teaspoons dried
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped fine
• Kosher salt to taste
• Fresh ground pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup

How to do it

• Place the dried mushrooms in a three quart bowl and pour the hot water over top.
• Let them soak in the water as long as possible, this can be done at least two hours before. The soaking reconstitutes the mushrooms, the longer they sit the bigger they become.
• Place the butter in a large sauté pan, turn the heat to medium and add the shallot and leek, sauté until soft but not brown.
• Add the garlic, chilli, and stock paste, stir to dissolve and warm through.
• Add the fresh mushrooms to the pan and turn the heat to medium-high.
• Toss the pan, add the wine and continue to cook. The mushrooms will release all of their moisture and we want to cook it away.
• While the mushrooms are cooking, drain the soaking mushrooms, squeeze hard with your hands to rid any excess water, chop and add to the pan.
• Once all the moisture is cooked away, add the tarragon, parsley and cream.  Stir and season with kosher salt and fresh pepper.  You can prepare the dish to this point and set aside until serving.
• Just before you are ready to serve, heat through and drizzle the maple syrup over top.
• Stir and transfer to your serving bowl.

Caren McSherry is a cookbook author and founder of the Gourmet Warehouse. Listen to her Foodie Friday segment live every Friday at 12:30 on CKNW AM980.