Wild Mushroom Recipe

Prepare mushrooms

Clean the mushrooms by brushing off dirt with a soft brush or paper towel; avoid rinsing unless very dirty. Trim woody stems from shiitake/chanterelle and slice larger mushrooms into 1/4–1/2-inch pieces so pieces are roughly uniform.

Sweat aromatics

Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the butter and olive oil. When the butter foams, add the finely diced onion and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent and soft, about 5–7 minutes. Add the minced garlic and thyme and cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant, taking care not to brown the garlic.

Brown mushrooms

Turn the heat to medium-high. Add the prepared mushrooms in a single layer if possible (work in batches if necessary to avoid steaming). Let them sear without stirring for 2–3 minutes, then stir and continue to cook until they release their liquid and it mostly evaporates and the mushrooms develop golden-brown edges, about 6–8 minutes total.

Deglaze and simmer

Pour in the white wine (or substitute) to deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Cook until the wine has mostly reduced, about 1–2 minutes. Add the stock and bring to a gentle simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until the liquid reduces by about one-third, roughly 6–8 minutes.

Finish sauce

Stir in the heavy cream and Dijon mustard. Simmer for 2–3 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly. Taste and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Remove from heat and stir in the chopped parsley and lemon zest if using.

If serving on toast: Spoon the warm wild mushroom ragout over toasted baguette slices, sprinkle with grated Parmesan, and garnish with extra parsley.

If serving with polenta or mashed potatoes: Spoon a ladle of soft polenta or mashed potatoes onto each plate and top with generous portions of the mushroom ragout and a light sprinkle of cheese and parsley.

For family-style service: Transfer the ragout to a warmed serving bowl and pass bread or the chosen starch at the table.