Prep time 5 min. cook time 10 min.
This is a gutsy blend of chunky garlic, a rich sweet balsamic reduction laced with aromatic sage.
I love mushrooms. They are versatile, there are enough species to fill a book and they add a warm earthy taste to any dish. According to Cordon Bleu here is a quick guide to 6 popular mushrooms and their uses.
Cremini Are hearty mushrooms that hold up well to sautéing, roasting, baking and stewing. (The darker brown variety are tastier than their white button cousins.)
Morel with their rich, creamy, woodsy flavor are perfect as a side dish fried or sautéed with a little garlic.
Oyster their delicate clusters and thin caps are best added at the last minute to stews or soups. With their sweet delicate flavor, sautéed oyster mushrooms are the perfect side dish for roasted meat entrees.
Portobello Portobello’s make a great meat substitute when grilled or baked.
Shiitake. Their strong taste is best suited to soups or adding them to a homemade stir fry.
This mushroom recipe is one of my standby side dishes. It is quick and easy to prepare while something else is cooking. It works best with Cremini (Baby Bella) that are more intensely flavored than their more widely used cousin, the white button mushroom.
It is not a subtle tasting recipe but a full bodied gutsy flavored one that pairs very well with grilled meat.
Sautéed Mushrooms With Balsamic Vinegar
by
Derek Farwagi
Ingredients
- 2 cups medium-sized Cremini or Baby Bella mushrooms
- 2-3 2-3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 6 tbsp Balsamic vinegar
- 2 tsp dried sage (marjoram, thyme or oregano works too)
- 1 tbsp unsalted cold butter
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Clean mushrooms with a damp paper towel. (Washing them under water can make them turn slimy.)
- Depending on the size of the mushrooms you can slice them (about 1/2" thick with or without stems or cook the tops whole.
- Heat 2tbs oil in a large skillet or frying pan on a medium/low flame.
- Add mushrooms and cook for 3-4 minutes a side until they are still a little crunchy but not raw.
- Add the herb and coarsely chopped garlic and cook for a minute or so.
- Add 6 tbsp Balsamic vinegar, mix well and cook for 3-4 minutes to reduce the liquid to half the volume. The idea here is cook off the tanginess of the vinegar until it is sweet and slightly syrupy.
- Turn fire off and finish by quickly blending in a tablespoon of cold butter.
- Add salt and ground black pepper to taste, garnish with parsley and serve.
Variations
The recipe also works well with Portobello mushrooms and are best sautéed in 1″ thick slices.
Derek Farwagi
I can’t think of anything I would add. Sounds delicious. I will try that.
Jacquie Wise
Divine, Derek! It never occurred to me to make a hot dish with mushrooms and balsamic vinegar. Guess what I’m having for dinner tonight! It reminds me of one of my most popular salads/side dishes using balsamic vinegar: Marinated Mushrooms. The dressing is 3/4 cup oil, 3tbs balsamic vinegar (or another vinegar if you prefer), 1 tsp salt, freshly ground black pepper, 1 tsp minced parsley or tarragon, 2 cloves crushed garlic, 2 tsp lemon juice. Wipe any dirt off 500g mushrooms. Smaller mushrooms can be left whole, larger ones may be sliced evenly. Mix dressing well with raw mushrooms, ensuring they are evenly coated . Allow to stand overnight or at least 5-6 hours. If the mushrooms are very absorbent, you may need to add more dressing. Serve unchilled in a bowl lined with dark lettuce or spinach leaves. I wonder what adjustments you would make to this, Derek.