Sauce Duxelle

The sauce duxelle is a classic sauce in which the main ingredient is mushrooms. As they need to be minced it is possible to use mushroom stems instead of whole ones. Other little tip, if it happens that on a lovely fall's afternoon, you have been mushroom picking, save the stems of your wild mushrooms to complement the button mushrooms mince, it will give it that deep, earthy flavour of wilderness.

Recipe for 6 six people:

• 150g buton mushrooms, washed thoroughly and minced.
• 1 small onion, finely chopped.
• 3 shallots, finely chopped.
• 1 clove of garlic, crushed.
• 1 tea spoon of tomato paste.
• 1 dl (1/2 scant cup) white wine.
• 21/2dl (1 cup full) chicken, veal or vegetable bouillon.
• 15g finely chopped flat parsley.
• 10g+15g+25g butter.
• 15g flour.
• 1 pinch nutmeg.
• salt and pepper.

In a thick bottom saute-pan, bring 10g of butter to a gentle sizzle. Sweat off the shallots and onions for 5-8 minutes. Add the minced mushrooms and allow to cook very gently for another 15 minutes. When the mushrooms have given out all their moisture, raise the heat and reduce down that cooking liquid, stiring constanly. Stir in 15g of butter, the tomato paste and the flour. Make sure that are no lumps. Allow to cookslowly, for 5 minutes.

Pour in the wine and the bouillon, bring to the boil and allow to reduce by one third.

Turn down the heat, season with the nutmeg, salt and pepper. Add in the garlic, and let the sauce cook for another 8-10 minutes.

Finaly, wisk in the butter left over. Now, at this point of the recipe it may happen that the sauce is not thin enough or looks chunky, it might be that the mushrooms are not minced finely enough. So, I would then let the sauce cool down a little bit and pass it through the food processor.

Check the seasoning and set aside in a bain-marie until serving time.

Just before serving add in the chopped parsley.

"I confess, that nothing frightens me more than the appearance of mushrooms on the table, especially in a small provincial town."

Alexandre Dumas, early 19th century

If using vegetable bouillon suitable for vegetarian, suitable for diabetics. Contains gluten and lactose. Nut free.