Mushroom Toast with Creme Fraiche

Mushrooms are the star of this show, and this is a dead simple recipe to get them right every time. This recipe gives a great flavor, perfect bite, and (surprisingly) creates mushrooms that aren’t soggy.

Unlike a lot of other recipes in here, this is a guideline and isn’t prescriptive. Since the mushrooms are the star, I’ll focus on those, leaving the toast and garnishes as exercise for the reader.

Instructions

• Clean then cut mushrooms in to even, reasonably sized, chunks. Small enough that you could fit a couple on a fork, but not smaller.

• Put the mushrooms in a shallow pan, in a single layer, and add chicken stock to cover them about two thirds of the way. Add lots of pepper.

• Reduce on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. This may take 15 minutes.

• Once the stock is nearly gone, add a pad of butter and some salt.

• Season to taste.

I occasionally add white wine, or herbs, towards the end of the cook. The mushrooms will absorb flavors easily, so be careful not to overpower them.