Mushroom Sauce: Serve as Appetizer or Over Beef, Lamb, Duck or Chicken
You can't go wrong with this Mushroom Sauce is easy and an ideal complement to most meats. And it's tasty simply served over toast as an appetizer.
- Preparation:
- Cooking:
- Total:
- Serves: 4 persons
Ingredients
- 1oz. dried mushrooms (morel, porcini or an assortment)
- 1cup red wine (or dry port)
- 1tablespoon butter (unsalted)
- ¼lb. mushrooms (crimini; thickly sliced)
- 2teaspoon dried thyme
- 1shallot (peeled and sliced thinly)
- Ground black pepper to taste
- ½cup beef broth ( low-sodium)
- 1teaspoon tomato paste (see note)
Instructions
Step 1
Heat the wine to a simmer in a small (2-cup+) sauce pan.Step 2
Add dried mushrooms and soak for 30 minutes or longer.Step 3
Drain wine through a filter (I use a dedicated kitchen handkerchief, but a coffee filter works) reserving wine.Step 4
Finely chop mushrooms and set aside.Step 5
Heat a 10-inch skillet over medium heat.Step 6
Add butter and swirl to melt.Step 7
Return skillet to stove, increase heat to medium-high and add mushrooms.Step 8
Cook mushrooms, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned for about 6 to 8 minutes.Step 9
Add shallots, thyme and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, for two more minutes.Step 10
Add reserved wine and cook until reduced by half.Step 11
Stir in beef broth and tomato paste.Step 12
Mix arrowroot with a tablespoon of cold water and stir into sauce.Step 13
Cook, stirring rapidly until thickened for about 1 minute. Taste and adjust seasonings to your taste. *Note: I used to buy those stupid 6 ounce cans of tomato paste and then throw away almost all of it. But if you look around you should be able to find tomato paste in a tube, which permits you to easily use only as much as you need and store the rest in the refrigerator.