Mushrooms, simmered low and slow with Merlot, butter, and some herbs and spices. It’s a side dish worthy of a steak dinner, and a mushroom-loving spouse.
Back in college, I spent some time waiting tables at a local steakhouse. By far the most popular side dish to accompany the perfectly seared steaks was the burgundy soaked mushrooms. Hands down! The ‘shrooms were so tasty that on busy nights, the waitstaff would regularly spoon a few onto a small dish for a quick snack. The sauce alone was so fantastic that I would spoon a little of it into a dish, and sop it up with a hunk of one of those cute mini-loaves of bread.
Confession #1: I’m not a huge fan of mushrooms–it’s a texture thing. But bread? Bread and I get along just fine. Especially when I can soak up something delicious with it! However, my Bacon Slayer? He loves mushrooms with wild abandon! So being the good wife that I am, I set aside my own personal feelings for the fungi, and will occasionally toss mushrooms into a dish or a snack.
Yep. I’m a giver.
Confession #2: I’m also always sure to cut the mushrooms large enough for me to pick them out and fling them onto Bacon Slayer’s plate.
Bacon Slayer is an intuitive guy. He can see right through my passive-aggressive-mushroom-slinging ways. He said we needed to come to a compromise on the fungus issue. He’s always so rational like that.
I’ve been married long enough to know that marriage is all about compromise.
Merlot simmered mushrooms are just another way to compromise with my beloved. He gets his meaty ‘shrooms, and I get to soak my bread in the delectable sauce that they’re slow-simmered in. Not fungus-flinging required. Everyone wins!
Make these Merlot soaked mushrooms today, and they may bring peace to your marriage!
Or at least to your dinner table.
You’ll need: a pound of mushrooms, a little Merlot or other dry red wine, beef stock, low-sodium soy sauce, butter, garlic powder, dried rosemary, kosher salt, and black pepper.
Give the mushrooms a good rinse in cold water, and let them drain. Bacon Slayer likes when I use half Mini (porta) Bellas, and half white mushrooms. He says its a nice texture combination.
After rinsing, gently wipe the outer mushroom caps with a paper towel to remove any residual dirt.
Place the cleaned mushrooms into a large sauce pot, and pour the beef stock and red wine over them. Hey–if red wine isn’t your thing, then substitute either chicken stock or more beef stock for the wine. You won’t hurt my feelings at all.
And because butter makes everything better, plop a big hunk on top of the ‘shrooms. Sprinkle the garlic powder and dried rosemary over the butter. Do not add the salt & pepper at this time.
Heat the mushroom mixture to boiling over medium heat. Give it a good stir, cover the pot, and lower the heat to low. Simmer the mushrooms over low heat for two hours. After the initial 2-hour simmer, uncover the pot, add the salt & pepper, and continue simmering the mushrooms for an additional 2 hours.
Yes, the mushrooms must be slow simmered for a total of 4 hours. It’ll be fine! Just throw ’em on the stove and forget about ’em.
Well, don’t completely forget about them. That wouldn’t end well. Set a timer so that you don’t totally forget, and then go on about your day. Fold some laundry, catch up on your email, eat some bon-bons–the time is yours to do what you like!
Your patience will be rewarded because at the end of those four, slow-simmered hours, you’ll be able to sink your teeth into the perfectly textured, flavor-infused perfection of Merlot simmered mushrooms.
And for all that is good and right with the world, be sure to have a loaf of crusty bread to soak up all the juicy goodness of the simmer sauce.
Kirsten Kubert
Yields 4 servings
Mushrooms, simmered low and slow with Merlot, stock, butter, herbs and spices.
15 minPrep Time
4 hrCook Time
4 hr, 15 Total Time
Save RecipeIngredients
- 8 oz. White Mushrooms
- 8 oz. Mini ‘Bella Mushrooms
- 1 C. Merlot, or other dry red wine
- 2 C. beef stock
- 4 Tbs. unsalted butter
- 1 Tbs. low-sodium soy sauce
- ¼ tsp. dried rosemary
- ¼ tsp. garlic powder
- ½ tsp. kosher salt, to taste
- ¼ tsp. black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Rinse mushrooms well under cold water and drain.
- Use a dry paper towel to gently rub the surface of the mushroom caps to remove any residual dirt.
- Place the mushrooms into a sauce pot, and pour in the red wine. Please use a dry red that you would happily drink--no cooking wine allowed.
- Add the beef stock, unsalted butter, soy sauce, rosemary, and garlic powder to the pan; heat to boiling over medium heat.
- Once boiling, cover the pot and reduce the heat to low. Simmer the mushrooms for two hours.
- Remove the cover from the pot and add salt & pepper, to taste.
- Continue to simmer the mushrooms for an additional two hours over low heat.
- Serve warm, alongside a loaf of crusty bread and a nicely grilled steak.
Notes
Mushrooms can be made several hours ahead. Cool, cover & refrigerate until near ready to serve; and then re-warm the mushroom mixture over low heat until hot. Also, if wine isn’t your thing, substitute chicken stock, or more beef stock in place of the red wine.
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