Amazing Mushroom Sauce

  I was the fortunate recipient of some beautiful local wild trumpet (also called Black Chanterelle) mushrooms that ace-forager, brother Jim, found here in Massachusetts this summer. They are the sole mushroom in this sauce, which is a quick pan sauce that can actually be made with any type of mushroom – fresh or dried, but was perfect to really bring out the best of these highly prized mushrooms. Fragrant Trumpet mushrooms have a rich, woodsy depth of flavor that can stand up to grilled meats, and don’t lose their flavor when dried. Jim cleaned and dried his fortunate find, so I just needed to reconstitute them

.

Ingredients for Black Chanterelle Mushroom Sauce:

 1/2  cup dried mushrooms, or 1 cup chopped fresh

1 medium shallot, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 large sprig fresh thyme or generous pinch of dried

1 pat of butter

1 1/2 cups  simmering liquid, or 1 cup stock or 1/2 stock 1/2 wine

1/4 cup + cornstarch and water to make a slurry

Salt and pepper

 

Directions:  If you are using a dried mushroom,  put 1/2  cup mushrooms in 1 1/2  cups of water in a small pot and simmer for 1/2 hour. Strain and let cool, but do not throw the simmering liquid away!  This is the basis for the sauce, and puts back a lot of mushroom flavor you don’t want to miss out on. If  you are using fresh mushroom, you can use wine/stock or stock for the liquid.

 

 When the mushrooms are cool, chop rather finely and add to a saute pan with the chopped shallot, thyme, pat of butter,  a  few grinds of black pepper and a pinch of salt.  

 Saute until the shallots are quite soft and have released their liquid.

Add the cooking liquid (simmering sauce or stock or 1/2 wine 1/2 stock) and continue to simmer while in another pan you sear your meat.

 When the meat has been seared off and either in the oven or resting, add a scant 1/4 cup water to the pan to deglaze, scrape up all the bits left from the searing and add to the mushroom mix. Simmer a bit longer, and make a mix of cornstarch and water. Add a little at a time to the simmering sauce, stirring all the while until thickened.

 Discard any unused mix after thickened to your liking. Correct for salt and pepper and serve over your grilled meat of choice.

Thanks Jim – they really are amazing!!!!!!!