Mushrooms in cream sauce

Richly fried mushrooms in a velvety smooth cream sauce with shallot, garlic, cognac and veal stock. Finished with cold butter for extra depth and gloss. A classic French bistro preparation, ideal with pan-fried meat, poultry, pasta or mashed potatoes.

Serves: 4
Preparation: approx. 10 minutes
Cooking: approx. 15 minutes
Total time: approx. 25 minutes

Ingredients

For the mushrooms in cream sauce

• 500 g mushrooms
• 30 g unsalted butter
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
• 50 ml cognac
• 150 ml double cream
• 75 ml veal stock (or a good beef or chicken stock)
• salt, to taste
• freshly ground black pepper
• small pinch of nutmeg
• a few drops of lemon juice (to taste)

Finishing

• 20 g cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
• 1–2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped

Preparation

• Clean the mushrooms with a brush or kitchen paper and cut them into quarters or thick slices.
• Finely chop the shallot.
• Finely chop the garlic.
• Finely chop the parsley.
• Cut the cold butter for finishing into small cubes and put it back in the fridge.

Method

1. Brown the mushrooms
   Heat the 30 g butter in a large, heavy-based frying pan over medium-high to high heat. Add the mushrooms in a single layer; if the pan is too full, fry in two batches. Let the mushrooms cook for a few minutes at first without stirring too much, until the underside is nicely golden brown. Turn and cook until well browned all over and the released moisture has evaporated (total approx. 5–7 minutes).
2. Make the aromatic base
   Lower the heat slightly. Add the chopped shallot and fry for 1–2 minutes until translucent. Add the garlic and fry for about 30 seconds more, without letting it colour.
3. Deglaze with cognac
   Pour the cognac into the pan and let it reduce briefly so that some of the alcohol evaporates. If you want to flambé: if necessary, briefly turn off the gas flame, tilt the pan slightly and carefully ignite the vapour above the pan with a long match or lighter. Let the flame die down by itself and lower the heat again.
4. Build the sauce
   Add the double cream and the veal stock. Bring gently to the boil and let it reduce for 3–5 minutes over low to medium-high heat, until the sauce is lightly thickened and coats the mushrooms nicely. Season with salt, freshly ground black pepper and a very small pinch of nutmeg. Taste as you go; the nutmeg should not dominate.
5. Finish and serve
   Reduce the heat to low or remove the pan from the heat. Add the cold cubes of butter and stir or whisk them into the sauce until it is nicely glossy and a little fuller; the sauce must not boil again. Finally, balance the sauce with a few drops of lemon juice; taste and add more lemon, salt or pepper if needed. Sprinkle over the chopped parsley and serve immediately, for example with a grilled entrecôte, roast chicken, pasta or mashed potatoes.

Tips
Without alcohol: omit the cognac and add an extra splash of veal stock instead.
A slightly lighter sauce: if you like, replace 50 ml double cream with 50 ml milk, but bear in mind a slightly less rich texture.
Make ahead: you can prepare the sauce up to and including reducing (step 11–13). Reheat gently, mount with cold butter just before serving and finish with lemon juice and parsley.