The New York Times recipe: Fresh and wild mushroom stew

All stews are not created equal. This recipe calls for cooking brown mushrooms with herbs and onions in broth until they create a gravy-like base, finishing with some sauteed chanterelles (or easier-to-find oyster mushrooms) for a nuanced bite. What results borders on being a ragout, lovely over polenta or pasta, but you can also have it on its own, a hearty dish to rival the beefiest stews.

Ingredients:

700g brown mushrooms, like shiitake, cremini or portobello

230g wild mushrooms, like chanterelle, or use king trumpet or oyster

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 large onion, diced

Salt and pepper

1 tsp chopped thyme

1 tsp chopped sage or rosemary

Pinch of red pepper flakes or ground cayenne

1 tbsp tomato paste

3 small ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped

1 tbsp all-purpose flour

2 cups mushroom broth, heated, or use chicken or vegetable broth, plus more as necessary

1 tbsp unsalted butter

3 garlic cloves, minced

3 tbsp chopped parsley

Polenta or pasta, for serving (optional)

Preparation:

Step 1 Clean mushrooms, keeping colours separate, and trim tough stems (save stems for stock.) Slice mushrooms about ⅓-cm thick.

Step 2 In a wide frying pan, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high. Add onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring, until onion has softened and browned, about 10 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.

Step 3 Add 1 more tablespoon oil and turn heat to high. Add brown mushrooms, season lightly and stir-fry until nicely coloured, about 3 minutes. Lower heat to medium. Add thyme, sage, red pepper and tomato paste. Add tomatoes, stir well, and cook for 1 minute. Season again with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon flour, stir to incorporate and cook for 1 minute more. Stir in reserved onions.

Step 4 Add 1 cup mushroom broth and stir until thickened, about 1 minute. Gradually add another 1 cup broth and cook for 2 minutes. Sauce should have gravy-like consistency; thin with more broth if necessary. Adjust seasoning. (May be prepared to this point several hours ahead and reheated.)

Step 5 Just before serving, put butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. When butter begins to brown, add chanterelles, season with salt and pepper, and sauté for about 2 minutes, until cooked through and beginning to brown. Add garlic and parsley, stir to coat and cook 1 minute more. Add chanterelles to brown mushroom mixture and transfer to a warm serving bowl. Accompany with polenta or pasta if you wish.

Serves 4-6

Total time: 1 hour

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

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