Mushroom Bourguignon with Polenta

For Christmas, my brother and sister-in-law gave me a beautiful box loaded with goodies from Eataly in New York City. I chose this vegetarian version of this classic French dish to make with the special polenta from my box.

This recipe was adapted from The New York Times, contributed by Melissa Clark. I used a combination of cremini and shiitake mushrooms. The mushrooms are cooked until they are dark brown, giving the dish a wonderful depth of flavor. I also loved the combination of pearl onions and leeks. Nice.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

• 6 T butter or extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed (I used 3 T each)
• 2 pounds mixed mushrooms, such as portobello, cremini, white button, shiitake or oyster, cut into 1-inch chunks (about 10 cups)
• 8 ounces peeled pearl onions (2 cups), larger ones cut in half (I used frozen pearl onions)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large leek or 2 small/medium leeks, white and light green parts, diced (1 1/2 cups)
• 2 carrots, thinly sliced
• 3 to 5 garlic cloves (2 to 4 minced, 1 grated to a paste)
• 1 T tomato paste
• 2 ½ T all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ cups dry red wine
• 1 ½ cups beef, mushroom or vegetable broth
• 1 T tamari or soy sauce, plus more to taste (I used dark soy sauce)
• 3 large fresh thyme branches or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 to 4 ounces shiitake, chanterelle or oyster mushrooms, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
• smoked paprika, for serving
• polenta, egg noodles or mashed potatoes, for serving (I used Polenta Valsugana)
• chopped flat-leaf parsley, for serving

1. Add 2 tablespoons butter or oil to a large Dutch oven or pot and set it over medium heat.
2. When the fat is hot, stir in half the mushrooms and half the pearl onions. (If it doesn’t all fit in the pot in one layer, you might have to do this in three batches, rather than two.) Without moving them around too much, cook the mushrooms until they are brown on one side, about 3 minutes. Stir and let them brown on the other side, 2 to 3 minutes more.
3. Use a slotted spoon to transfer mushrooms and onions to a large bowl or plate and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
4. Repeat with another 2 tablespoons butter and the remaining mushrooms and pearl onions, seasoning them as you go.
5. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add another 1 tablespoon butter or oil to pan.
6. Add leeks and carrot and sauté until the leeks turn lightly golden and start to soften, 5 minutes.
7. Add the 2 minced garlic cloves and sauté for 1 minute longer.
8. Stir in tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
9. Stir in flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute, then add wine, broth, 1 tablespoon tamari, thyme and bay leaf, scraping up the brown bits at bottom of pot.
10. Add reserved cooked mushrooms and pearl onions back to the pot and bring to a simmer.
11. Partly cover the pot and simmer on low heat until carrots and onions are tender and sauce is thick, 30 to 40 minutes. (Meanwhile, at this point, prepare the polenta according to the package directions, if using.)
12. Taste and add more salt and tamari if needed. Stir in the grated garlic clove.
13. Just before serving, heat a small skillet over high heat and add 1/2 tablespoon butter or oil. Add half of the sliced chanterelles or oyster mushrooms and let cook without moving until they are crisp and brown on one side, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip and cook on the other side. Transfer to a plate and sprinkle with salt and smoked paprika. Repeat with remaining butter and mushrooms.
14. Serve mushroom Bourguignon over polenta, noodles or mashed potatoes, topped with fried mushrooms and parsley.

About Josette@thebrookcook

I live in Stony Brook, New York on Long Island. I love garlic and baking. My hobby (and love) is to try new recipes. My favorite recipe resources include The New York Times, Food and Wine, Bon Appetit, and Martha Stewart Living. Enjoy!

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