Mushroom-shallot Ragout

By chrissy14

Ingredients

• 1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms (1/2 cup)
• 1/2 cup boiling water
• 1/2 lb large white mushrooms, stemmed and tops cut into eights
• 1 T fresh lemon juice
• 3 1/2 T unsalted butter (1/2 T softened)
• 2 T EVOO
• Salt and FGP
• 1 lb chanterelle mushrooms, sliced 1/2 inch thick
• 2 large shallots, thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 cups mushroom broth or water
• 1 T all purpose flour
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 t chopped thyme
• Soft polenta for serving

Preparation

Step 1

In a small heatproof bowl, cover the dried porcini mushrooms with the boiling water. Let stand until the mushrooms have softened, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, toss the white mushrooms with the 2t of the lemon juice. In a large skillet, melt 1 T of butter in 1 T of the EVOO until sizzling. Add the white mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook over moderate heat until the liquid released from the mushrooms has evaporated, about 6 minutes. Uncover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are browned, about 4 minutes, transfer to a plate.

In the same skillet, melt 2 T of the butter into the remaining 1 T of EVOO. Add the chanterelles and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook over moderate heat until the mushrooms are swimming in liquid, about 5 minutes. Uncover and cook over moderately high heat until the liquid has evaporated, about 3 minutes. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally until the chanterelles are browned, about 8 minutes. Add the shallots and cook over moderate heat, stirring a few times, until softened, about 4 minutes.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the porcini to a work surface. Coarsely chop the porcini and add them to the chanterelles along with their soaking liquid, stopping before you reach the grit. Stir in the mushroom broth and the white mushrooms and simmer over moderate heat until the porcini are soft, about 4 minutes.

In a small bowl, blend the ½ t butter with the flour to make a smooth paste. Stir in 1/3 cup of the ragout liquid to dissolve the paste, then whisk the mixture into the ragout. Add the minced garlic, thyme and the remaining 1 t of lemon juice and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the ragout is thickened and glossy, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve over soft polenta.