bonus shot: sinful mushroom bourguignon

YUM.  Photographed with Nikon D300, 60mm micro lens.

In our house, Marcus does most of the cooking. I mean, I cook, but I'm one of those people who can read a recipe, and know a couple of tricks to make it taste a bit better; Marcus, however, can take an old peach, a strip of bacon and a match, and make cuisine. He is a cooking MacGyver, that man.

So, some time ago, while I was on an online quest for good vegetarian food, I was surfing one of my new favourite reads, Smitten Kitchen. I came upon their recipe for mushroom bourgignon, and immediately my mouth started watering. It looked amazing. I printed it out, and gave it to Marcus. "Dude, you have got to make this," I said breathlessly, "but make it your own."

Since that time, Marcus has made this dish on several occasions, and he has finally has come up with a version that he loves (and one that Alex and I positively crave). I love this recipe, because it's one of those dishes that can make a carnivore forget they're eating vegetarian -- not that it tastes like meat (because it doesn't), but because it's so rich and full-bodied, you can totally forgive the absence of meat.

And so, with all due and well-deserved respect to Smitten Kitchen (because let me tell you, Deb and Alex over there are positive culinary artists), the following is Marcus' version. Instead of egg noodles, Marcus serves his with his famous roasted potatoes, for a bit of a different stick-to-your-rib-ocity.

COMPLETELY SINFUL MUSHROOM BOURGIGNON

1-1/2 pounds fresh whole mushrooms, each mushroom cut in half
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large carrots, diced coarsely
1 large onion, finely chopped
14 oz petite whole onions (thaw if frozen)
2 cups vegetable broth (once, in a pinch, Marcus used a packet of onion soup mix dissolved in 2 cups hot water, and that worked beautifully as well)
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 bottle of full-bodied red wine
1 tablespoon flour
a dash of Worcestershire sauce (we use Annie's Vegan Worcestershire sauce, to make it fully vegetarian)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
salt & pepper to taste

1. Saute mushrooms in 1-1/2 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of oil on high heat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Once the mushrooms have begun to water and have browned, remove to a dish, and set aside.

2. In original pot, add remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Saute large onion and carrots on medium heat, until the onion carmelizes (about 10 minutes). Add thyme and garlic, mix well.

3. Increase to high heat. Add wine. Once the mixture begins to boil, reduce heat to simmer. Simmer until mixture is reduced by half (about 10 minutes or so).

4. While wine mixture is simmering, melt remaining 1-1/2 teaspoons of butter in a separate dish, and add flour.  Mix well into a thick paste.  Set aside.

5.  Once wine mixture has been reduced, add mushrooms.  Add vegetable broth.  Return to boil; once boiling, reduce heat to simmer for about 15 minutes.

6.  Add the Worcestershire sauce, petite whole onions and tomato paste. Simmer for 10 more minutes.

7.  Add flour/butter mixture, and simmer for 5 more minutes.

Enjoy!  This serves about 4 people.