PORCINI AND PORTOBELLO MUSHROOM BOURGUIGNON OVER SMASHED POTATOES
A French-vegetarian alliance is always a hit. We sometimes get ambitious and put together an all-out vegetarian French food extravaganza, and the main attraction is always this version of the French classic, boeuf bourguignon, made vegetarian with mushrooms and a very “beefy” broth consisting of red wine and porcini mushrooms. Serve this dish over some crispy-on-the-outside, creamy-on-the-inside smashed fingerling potatoes.
The bourguignon has a lot of steps but is actually simple to make. Set some time aside on a weekend day to make this vegetarian version of a comfort food classic. It’s shockingly full of flavor, and even the leftovers are great.
15 to 20 pearl onions
5 large portobello mushroom caps, cut into large chunks
Sea salt flakes and cracked black pepper (to taste)
3 tablespoons olive oil or unsalted butter, divided
5 large carrots, cut into large chunks
⅓ cup French lentils
Porcini Mushroom Broth (recipe follows)
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
12 Smashed New Potatoes (recipe follows)
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley (to garnish)
Toss the onions onto a hot gas grill until the outer skin is nice and charred on all sides; this should take only a few minutes per side. Remove and place into a covered container to cool. Once cool, the onions will slip right out of their charred skin.
Season the mushrooms with salt and pepper to taste. In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter or oil and then sear the mushroom chunks until nicely browned. (This is best done in batches as to not overcrowd the pan.) Remove the mushrooms and set aside in the fridge. You will add them back to the pot later.
Add the carrots and onions to the pot. Once they begin to brown, add the lentils and enough of the Porcini Mushroom Broth to cover. Stir. Put a lid on it and reduce to a simmer for 1 ½ hours. Remove the vegetables from the broth and set aside with the mushrooms.
Crank the heat up to high to reduce the broth by one-third. Remove the reduced broth from the pot and set aside in a heat-proof bowl. Check the broth for seasoning and adjust. Add the flour and remaining tablespoon of butter to the pot. Allow the mixture to cook until nutty and fragrant. Add the broth back to the pot with the roux. Mix with a whisk to work out any lumps. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat. The sauce should look velvety and slightly thick. Add the mushrooms and vegetables back to the pot and coat them with the velvety sauce. Bring everything up to temperature just before serving. Serve over the Smashed Potatoes and garnish with parsley.
Makes 4 servings.
1 medium white onion
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium carrots
6 ribs celery
1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
1 cup loose-packed fresh parsley
6 sprigs fresh thyme
Juice of ½ lemon
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon cane sugar
1 teaspoon sea salt flakes
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 cups dry red wine (like Burgundy)
3 cups water
Process the onion in a food processor until it’s finely chopped. In a stock pot over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil and then sweat the onions in the oil until they are translucent. Process the carrots and celery in the same way and add them to the pot. Add the dried mushrooms and the parsley, thyme, lemon juice, bay leaves, sugar, salt, tomato paste, red wine, and water to the pot and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat, cover, and allow the mixture to cook for 25 minutes. Strain out all the vegetables and discard them. Return the stock to the stovetop with the heat on high and reduce by about a third.
Makes 2 ½ to 3 cups.
SMASHED NEW POTATOES
12 medium new potatoes
¼ cup canola oil
Sea salt flakes and cracked black pepper (to taste)
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Bake the new potatoes for 20 minutes. Remove them and allow them to cool. With the bottom of a frying pan, smash the potatoes hard enough to flatten them. Heat the canola oil over medium-high heat in a 10-inch frying pan and then panfry the smashed potatoes about 3 minutes per side. You just need to crisp the outside since the potato is already cooked through. Remove the potatoes and drain them on paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Makes 4 servings.