Dinner Party?? Or is it a cooking class?
Last week I had the pleasure of putting together a dinner party / cooking class for two couples who were celebrating anniversaries. The menu was a bit complex for a class and included Beef Wellington. Well to be precise, the menu was for “individual” Beef Wellingtons.
Traditionally “Wellington” is made with a liver pâté , however I chose to use Duxelles instead. Duxelles is a combination of finely minced mushrooms and may include garlic and shallots as well. The time spent in making it is well worth the end result. Think mushroom but with a stronger, bolder flavor.
There are a few schools of thought on what should go in it. Some purists insist that only mushrooms should be used while others insist that shallots are an absolute necessity. I personally am in the shallot school of thinking and recommend using them along with some garlic for an additional layer of flavor. I also like to add sherry at the end as I feel that it complements the overall taste of the Duxelles.
The trick when making the duxelles is to use finely minced mushrooms and shallots. I 
recommend using a food processor to accomplish this, but be careful not to puree the mushrooms. Stick to pulsing it and you should be okay. Also, the duxelles should cook for 20-25 minutes in order for all the moisture to first be released from the mushrooms and then slowly be drawn back into them. The end result will be about half in volume of what you start with and achieve a nice dark brown color. Remember that the type of mushrooms you start out with effects the final outcome. I recommend a combination of cremini and button mushrooms. They tend to make a nice balanced flavor.
The recipe for a basic Duxelles follows below, you don’t have to make a Beef Wellington in order to enjoy Duxelles, try it in any recipe that calls for mushrooms and you can even use what’s left over for an omelet! And BTW, the dinner party was a success, everyone enjoyed the food and even learned a few things.
Thanks for Reading and ABC….
Chef Rob
Mushroom Duxelles
- 8 -10 oz. white or crimini mushrooms (or mixture of both.)
- 1 to 2 small shallots
- 2-3 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- S&P
- 1-2 oz sherry (optional)
- Clean the mushrooms to remove any dirt.
- Finely mince the mushrooms, shallots and garlic. You may pulse in a food processor but be careful to not purée the mushrooms. The goal is to have very small but separate pieces.
- In a large sauté pan over a moderate heat, melt the butter and add the Mushroom Mixture.
- Cook over a moderate to moderately-low heat until the mushrooms shed their liquid and then re-absorb it, leaving no liquid in the pan. Stir occasionally. This process can take up to 20 minutes. When done the mushrooms will resemble a dark brown, almost paste-like texture. The quantity will also have been reduced by about half.
- Deglaze with sherry
- Taste and adjust for seasoning.
Let cool before refrigerating or before using in another recipe
