After a quick trip to New York last week, I was weirdly excited for a night in with a big batch of mushroom ragout. It’s the kind of small, rewarding project that can hum along for an hour or so while I’m on FaceTime with friends and family or catching up on a podcast.
I usually start with a vegetable stock; a patchwork of onion, garlic, fennel and carrot scraps; and the odd, wilty half-bunch of herbs. Then, I get a big pan on the stove with a glug of olive oil and add chopped onion and garlic to sweat until tender but not browned. I add lots of mixed, chopped mushrooms and just a bit of flour (which cooks out in the pan and gives the sauce some nice body later on). I pour in white wine, and when that’s simmered away and has nearly disappeared, I add in that quick stock (or, if I happen to be using dried mushrooms, the liquid from rehydrating them).
You can finish a ragout with herbs, toss it with some hot pasta and have a wonderful dinner right away. But it’s always worth making more ragout than you need so you can have a delicious, versatile meal shortcut on hand for a few days.
Anything is possible! Here are some ideas:
Farro and mushroom salad: Cook farro and then drain and toss while still hot with mushroom ragout; pickled shallots; a handful of crushed, toasted hazelnuts; a glug of olive oil; and lots of chopped fresh dill.
Mushroom congee: Simmer leftover rice in plenty of water until the grains burst. Then, season with salt and pepper, ladle into a bowl and top with mushroom ragout, a poached egg, a splash of soy sauce, sliced raw ginger and scallions.
Baked polenta with mushrooms: Cook instant polenta and spread roughly into a casserole dish. Break up canned whole San Marzano tomatoes with your hands and drop tomatoes and juices over the polenta. Spoon over mushroom ragout, olive oil and herbs, and bake until the top and edges sizzle.
Mushroom omelet: Whisk eggs with chopped herbs like chervil, tarragon or parsley, season with salt and pepper, and pour into a hot pan. Cover with mushroom ragout and grated Gruyère, and fold in half.
Mushroom toast: Fry a piece of bread in olive oil and then pile warm mushroom ragout on top, making sure to drizzle all of the juices and let them soak into the bread. This is really good if you mix the mushrooms with some warm beans, too.
If you’ve got a heap of mushrooms but you’re not in the mood for a ragout, Kay Chun has a brand-new recipe for a cozy tofu and mushroom jorim — a feast with some rice and kimchi! And I have a soft spot for this old-school cottage pie from David Tanis, which is particularly rich and creamy with a base of mushrooms and leeks under the mash. Hetty McKinnon has a wonderful recipe for a mushroom and broccolini stir-fry using spaghetti and a touch of five spice. And Sarah DiGregorio makes a cozy, vegetarian version of paprikash using mushrooms and potatoes.
Mushroom and Potato Paprikash
Go to the recipe.
One More Thing
Don’t underestimate the pints of button mushrooms at the supermarket, which can lend their balmy, earthy flavors to any of these recipes or help to supplement a more expensive variety.
Want to revisit last year’s Mushroom Week recipes? Right this way. There were some really good ones in there, including Yewande Komolafe’s roasted mushroom larb — still a favorite!
Thanks for reading The Veggie and see you next week.
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