FOOD
8A Mushroom magic: From soup to quiche
Katie Scarvey, Lifestyle Editor, 704-797-4270 kscarvey@salisburypost.com
WEDNESDAY February 16, 2011
SALISBURY POST
www.salisburypost.com
BY DANIEL NEMAN The Toledo Blade
Simple or fancy, mushrooms are the allpurpose food There is, as they say, a fungus among us. Consider the humble mushroom. It is trod upon, shunned as poisonous and abused by some seeking a psychedelic thrill. And when you get right down to it, it looks kind of gross. And yet, when combined with the right ingredients, something so low can become something noble, even glorious. Mushrooms are sublime with thyme, and are practically paradise when cooked in cream; hence, the enduring popularity of cream of mushroom soup — it is one of the all-time classic food combinations. Versatile mushrooms pair especially well with eggs (think of mushroom omelets), with all members of the onion family (including shallots, chives and leeks), with tomatoes, potatoes, mustard and wine, both red and white. They even go well with anchovies. And pizza? Make mine mushroom, please. But first, some freaky facts about mushrooms. Technically speaking, mushrooms are not plants. They do not have chlorophyll, which is one of the defining characteristics of plants, nor do they have the typical plantlike structure of leaves, stems and roots. As fungi, they are a classification all to themselves, although there are an awful lot of them. Botanists have identified 80,000 different kinds of fungi, including yeasts, molds, mildews — and mushrooms. About 10,000 different kinds of mushrooms grow in the United States, with about 4 percent of those being worth eating. About one mushroom variety out of five will make you sick. One percent will kill you. The largest living thing in the world is a mushroom in the Green Mountains of eastern Oregon. A member of the honey mushroom species (Armillaria ostoyae), this one fungus covers an astonishing 2,200 acres, nearly all of it underground. That’s almost 31⁄2 square miles. Feeling hungry yet? Ah, but you should. Mushrooms are practically the definition of savoriness, the earthy, bass-note flavor known as umami. They can be simple or fancy, the kind of food that looks good (metaphorically speaking) in either jeans or a tux. They can be cooked in just about any method possible, and they can be eaten raw. They are the all-purpose, one-stop food. The very simplest way of cooking them, Dry-Pan Style, makes delicious use of the fact that mushrooms are 92 percent water. By heating them over fairly low heat in just a little olive oil or butter, you can let some of that water evaporate. The result is intensely flavored, chewy mushroom slices, with or without garlic, that can be served on their own, in salads, or as part of any mushroom-friendly dish. A related method is called Simplest Cooked Mushrooms, though they are not as simple as the Dry-Pan Style. These use a little more olive oil and a healthy splash of white wine, and are consequently more tender and have a bit of the complementary, heady flavor of wine. Stuffed mushrooms are perennially popular party crowd-pleasers, and our recipe for them comes from a 1967 version of “Betty Crocker’s Hostess Cookbook.” The book is marvelously dated (it includes such treats as Aloha Pineapple Punch and Seafood Thermidor — which uses two cans of frozen cream of shrimp soup), but the Mushrooms Royale have stood the test of time. We serve them at most of our parties, and they are invariably the first things to go. There is just one rule to making them: They require breadcrumbs, but don’t use pumpernickel bread or a sweet white bread. Those breads compete unfavorably with the rest of the stuffing. Only 10 years newer, and just as popular, is a recipe for Hungarian Mushroom Soup from the original “Moosewood Cookbook.” Sinfully rich, but in a good way, the soup is filling and utterly satisfying. If you’re worried about the calories — and that might not be a bad idea — a later version of the cookbook cuts the butter in half and recommends using low-fat sour cream instead of the hightest stuff. That’s also good, but you don’t quite get the same sensation of actually feeling your arteries close. I’m real-man enough to admit that I enjoy the occasional quiche. Eggs, butter, cream and cheese — what’s not to like? And I am sentimental enough to include a recipe for mushroom quiche that was the highlight of my honeymoon. OK, one of the highlights. This dish, which originally comes from the White Swan Inn in San Francisco, makes particularly harmonious use of the timeless pairings of mushrooms with cream and with thyme; it’s great to serve to guests at brunch. And, finally, we offer a couple of froufrou recipes from the four-star mind of chef JeanGeorges Vongerichten. Both are fairly easy to make, and fairly quick, and both are remarkably flavorful. Either or both could easily be served as part of an impressive dinner party. The Mushroom Soup with Greens bursts forth with the essence of mushrooms, gently enhanced with a briny soy sauce and a
metro creative connection
warming dash of port. Unusual for a mushroom soup, it has no cream, relying instead on a mushroom broth you make yourself in less than an hour.
Hungarian Mushroom Soup 4 Tbs. butter, divided 2 C. chopped onion 12 ounces mushrooms, sliced 1-2 tsp. dill 2 C. stock OR water, divided 1 Tbs. soy sauce 1 Tbs. paprika 3 Tbs. flour 1 C. milk 1 tsp. salt Pepper to taste 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice 1 ⁄2 C. sour cream 1 ⁄4 C. chopped parsley Melt 2 tablespoons butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and a little salt; saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms, 1 teaspoon dill, 1/2 cup stock or water, soy sauce and paprika. Cover and simmer 15 minutes. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan over low heat. Whisk in flour and cook, whisking, for a few minutes. Add milk and cook, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes until thick. Stir in mushroom mixture and remaining 11⁄2 cups of stock or water. Cover and simmer 10-15 minutes. Just before serving, add salt, pepper, lemon juice, sour cream and, if desired, more dill. Serve garnished with parsley. Yield: 4 servings — Adapted from “Moosewood Cookbook,” by Mollie Katzen
Dry-Pan Style Mushrooms 2 Tbs. olive oil 1 pound assorted mushrooms, sliced Salt and black pepper 1 tsp. to 1 Tbs. minced garlic, optional 1 ⁄4 C. chopped fresh parsley, for garnish If any of the mushrooms are shiitakes, remove and discard the stems. Heat oil in a large skillet with a cover over mediumhigh heat. Add the mushrooms, salt and pepper, and stir. Cover, reduce heat to medium low, and cook undisturbed for 5 minutes. The mushrooms should release some of their liquid. Remove the lid and raise the heat until the liquid bubbles; cook until the liquid boils off, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the optional garlic and cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms are chewy and nearly crisp, about 5 more minutes. Adjust seasonings and serve hot, warm or at room temperature, garnished with parsley, or use in other dishes. Yield: 4 servings — Adapted from “The Food Matters Cookbook,” by Mark Bittman
Simplest Cooked Mushrooms ⁄4 C. olive oil 1 pound assorted mushrooms, sliced Salt and black pepper 1 ⁄4 C. dry white wine OR water 1 tsp. to 1 Tbs. minced garlic, optional 1 ⁄4 C. chopped fresh parsley, to garnish 1
If any of the mushrooms are shiitakes,
remove and discard the stems. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When it is hot, add the mushrooms. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the wine, let it bubble for a minute and lower the heat to medium low. Stir in the optional garlic and cook for 1 minute. Adjust seasonings if necessary and serve hot, warm or at room temperature, garnished with parsley. Yield: 4 servings — Adapted from “The Food Matters Cookbook,” by Mark Bittman
Mushrooms Royale 1 pound medium mushrooms 4 Tbs. butter, divided 1 ⁄4 C. finely chopped green pepper 1 ⁄4 C. finely chopped onion 11⁄2 C. soft breadcrumbs 1 ⁄2 tsp. salt 1 ⁄2 tsp. ground thyme 1 ⁄4 tsp. turmeric 1 ⁄4 tsp. pepper Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Clean and trim mushrooms. Remove stems and finely chop enough of them to make 1/3 cup. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium heat, and stir in chopped mushroom stems, green pepper and onion. Stirring occasionally, cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in onion, breadcrumbs, salt, thyme, turmeric and pepper. Melt remaining tablespoon butter in a shallow baking dish. Fill mushroom caps with stuffing mixture and place them, filled side up, in baking dish. Bake 15 minutes. Turn oven to broil or hottest temperature, and broil 3-4 inches from heat for 2 minutes. Serve hot. Yield: About 3 dozen appetizers — Adapted from “Betty Crocker’s Hostess Cookbook”
Mushroom Quiche 1 Tbs. butter 1 ⁄2 pound mushrooms, sliced 1 ⁄2 medium onion, chopped 1 C. grated Swiss cheese, divided 1 ⁄2 C. grated Parmesan cheese, divided 1 ⁄2 tsp. thyme 1 ⁄2 tsp. oregano 8 large eggs 2 C. milk 1 C. heavy cream Salt and pepper, to taste Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and onions; cook until soft. Spread 1/2 cup Swiss cheese and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese in bottom of a greased quiche or pie pan. Top with mushroom mixture. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Swiss cheese and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle with thyme and oregano.
Whisk together eggs, milk, cream, salt and pepper; pour over ingredients in pan. Bake for 35-45 minutes, until set and golden brown. Yield: 6 to 8 servings — "California Bed & Breakfast Cookbook," by Melissa Craven and Jordan Salcito
Mushroom Soup with Greens 2 pounds button mushrooms 4 ounces shiitake mushrooms (or more button mushrooms) 4 Tbs. butter (1⁄2 stick), divided Salt 4-6 large shallots, roughly chopped 6 garlic cloves, lightly smashed (don't bother to peel) 4 thyme sprigs 2 Tbs. minced shallots 1 ⁄2 C. fresh or frozen peas, thawed 2 tsp. hazelnut or walnut oil, optional 2 Tbs. soy sauce Pepper 1Tbs. port 2 C. mixed salad greens 2 Tbs. toasted breadcrumbs Clean and coarsely chop the 2 pounds of button mushrooms. Remove the caps from the shiitake mushrooms, slice the caps and set aside. Combine the stems with the button mushrooms. (If using all button mushrooms, slice the remaining 4 ounces mushrooms and set aside.) Melt 2 tablespoons butter on high heat in a deep skillet or saucepan, add the chopped button mushrooms and a sprinkling of salt. When the mushrooms release their liquid, add the chopped shallots, garlic and thyme. Continue cooking on high heat, occasionally stirring and tossing, until mushrooms are brown, about 5-10 minutes. Add 6 cups of water. With heat at high or medium high, cook at a steady low boil until liquid is reduced by half, about 30 minutes. Pour the mixture through a strainer into a pot, pressing hard to extract all the juices. Keep the broth warm. This broth may be made ahead of time and kept refrigerated in a covered container for up to 2 days. While the broth is cooking, place the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet, turn the heat to high, and add the minced shallot and shiitake slices (or sliced button mushrooms). Cook, stirring, until the mushrooms are tender, about 5 minutes. Add the peas and cook for 1 more minute. Turn off the heat and stir in the optional oil and 1 tablespoon soy sauce. Reheat the broth. Season it with the remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce, lots of fresh black pepper, and the port. Adjust seasonings as necessary. Place the greens in a large tureen or 4 individual bowls and spoon the shiitake mixture and its juices over them. Add the breadcrumbs, pour the soup over all, and serve. Yield: 4 servings — Adapted from "Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef," by JeanGeorges Vongerichten and Mark Bittman