mushroom cream sauces

A lot of people in this area use condensed cream of mushroom soup as sauce instead of making it from scratch with real mushrooms. Yet, making the real thing isn’t difficult at all and it tastes a lot more intense, so much better.

A. mushroom cream sauce

2017-03-30

We can go from very mellow to a spicy bite by adding more pepper. I prefer to use white pepper for this, but sometimes I forget and grab the black anyway. Black pepper speckles the sauce.

This sauce was thickened with oil dough, which gives it a shiny smooth texture. Oil dough is a quick and easy way to get he job done. I am not saying it is better or worse than any other thickening method, but I use it more often than others. You need to find out for yourself what fits your needs the best.

I don't usually remove the mushrooms to make the sauce. However, if there is a chance of interruption or delay, it may prevent the mushrooms from overcooking and getting rubbery chewy.

INGREDIENTS

This is what you need for 2-4 servings:

1 lb. button mushrooms, sliced
olive oil
1 cup heavy cream
2 tsp. flour
S&wP

Pic1: mushroom cream sauce

Directions

Cook the mushrooms:

Clean the mushrooms by rubbing them or cutting away severe damage.
Do not wash button mushrooms. They absorb a lot of water.
Slice the mushrooms.
Melt butter, sauté the mushrooms for a few minutes until they start releasing liquid.
Add S&P to taste.
Reduce heat, cover and simmer over low heat for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Alternatively:

warm 1 pt. pre-made unblended Mushroom Base through over low heat. (Pic3)

Prepare the sauce:

Pour the mushrooms through a sieve.
Set the mushrooms aside for the moment.
Reserve the liquor.
Mix cream with half to same amount of mushroom liquor.
This way, we don't start out with too much liquid that will need to be thickened.
Warm through over low heat.
Simmer for 5 minutes, but do not boil. Adjust S&P to taste.
Stir in cream.
Simmer the mushroom liquor & cream mix over low heat without boiling.
Add S&wP to your taste.
I am always very generous with the pepper. I use enough to give it a sharp bite.

Thickening the sauce with oil dough:

Mix the cooking oil and flour until there are no flour lumps.
Add this mix to the sauce ½ teaspoon at a time.
Stop adding a little bit before the sauce reaches the desired thickness.
The sauce will slowly thicken further as long as heated.

Finishing up:

Return the mushrooms to the sauce shortly before serving time.
Simmer over low heat to warm them through again.
Keep warm or serve immediately over or with vegetables, meat.

2017-03-30

Pic2: stew mushrooms
Pic3: add cream, oil dough
Pic4: thickened sauce

B. Portobello mushroom pepper cream sauce

2019-07-14

Quick and easy to make. It takes only a few minutes and it makes your steak so yummy. I cook Portobellos very different from the method I use for button mushrooms.

Baby Portobello mushrooms look like big brown button mushrooms. They have a stronger flavor and will color the sauce darker than button mushrooms. Once I got over the prejudice that I wouldn't have a white sauce, I started preferring them over the white ones.

The large Portobellos can get as big as a small desert plate, about a hand-span wide. Large Portobello mushrooms have black gills inside the cap that I scrape away before cooking them into cream sauce.

Portobello remain firmer when cooked, almost meat-like in texture. That makes them very popular with vegetarians as a meat substitute.

Duqqa is an Egyptian condiment consisting of a mixture of herbs, nuts, and spices.

INGREDIENTS

This is what you need for 2 servings:

2 medium Portobello mushrooms
OR 1 lb. baby Portobello mushrooms
2-4 tbsp. heavy cream
1 tbsp. duqqa
S&P

Pic5: Portobello mushroom cream sauce

Directions

Heat some olive oil.
Add the duqqa and pepper, simmer for 1 minute.
It will smell so good in the house.
Add the diced Portobello mushroom.
Blacken over high heat.
Reduce heat and sauté uncovered over low heat until the liquor is nearly dried up, about 5 minutes.
I don't cook portobellos nearly as long as button mushrooms. They tend to get chewy if cooked longer.
Remove from the heat.
Stir in the cream. Let it warm through without boiling. No further thickening was needed here. Portobellos release a lot less liquor than button mushrooms.
Serve immediately. Enjoy.

2019-07-14

Pic6: fry the pepper
Pic7: add mushrooms
Pic8: with cream sauce.

See also: Deming, NM gardens, animals and more and avemariasongs.org

See also: Deming, NM gardens, animals and more
and avemariasongs.org