mushroom ragu for the vegetarian in your midst!

[thoreau]

Mushroom Ragu

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound mixed mushrooms (cremini, oyster, baby shiitake) whole (important not to chop!)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup Port or Marsala (whichever you like better, but you know me, I'm a Port-o-holic)
2 cups mushroom or vegetable stock
1/3 cup heavy cream (or for a truly vegan choice, use coconut milk)
5 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1/4 cup flat-leaf Italian parsley, chopped
1 cup grated Parmesan

In a large skillet heat the oil. When almost smoking, add the onions and garlic over medium-low heat until the onions have wilted, about 8 minutes. Add the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper.

Raise heat to high and saute until mushrooms are tender and all the liquid has evaporated.

If you'd chopped - the mushrooms would have reduced to almost nothing at this point. Not chopping leaves them whole and renders up delightful fork-able bite sized lovely mushroominess.

If you chop? - you get mushroom ragu that resembles creamed spinach, not necessarily what we're going for here.

Remove pan from heat and pour in Port. Adding wine when on the high heat can scorch or create flameage. again, not necessarily what we're going for here.

Return pan to stove and allow wine to evaporate, about 3 minutes. Add vegetable or mushroom broth and simmer (turn down to medium low heat) for 1/2 hour until the sauce has reduced by half. Add heavy cream and mix well.

Take the pan off the heat and add the fresh herbs and Parmesan and mix thoroughly. I serve this over rice or a small amount of fresh pasta.

I'm making this for the adorable and vegetarian Bruce tonight - then we're settling in for "The History Boys"

Yay³

Comments

[eireangus.livejournal.com]

Heh, I guess I didn't read it through, I just saw vegetarian :)

[madknits.livejournal.com]

Would this be considered trayf? Or is there another term?

[eireangus.livejournal.com]

I think treyf refers more to the fleishig/basari part of keep kosher, and mixing meat and dairy would be non-Kashrus or not being halacha about it. But, I have heard them say it's a "triple treyf" before, especially if it involves unkosher meat! :)

[notdefined.livejournal.com]

Just substitute vegetable stock (a bit heartier than broth) use grated asiago or romano. A drop or two (and no more) of toasted sesame oil, will add a bit of substance to the broth.

[low-fat-muffin.livejournal.com]

and you could use coconut milk rather than heavy cream for a truly vegan recipe. I typed this up pre-latte this morning.

[low-fat-muffin.livejournal.com]

is parmesan a bad cheese or something? :)

[notdefined.livejournal.com]

No, not at all, but romano and asiago are more robust and with the loss of the substance in the chicken broth, they would help the resulting product have a bit more punch, so to speak.

[eireangus.livejournal.com]

But, I LOVE cheese :)

[low-fat-muffin.livejournal.com]

is cheese bad?

and I guess - I didn't realize that cheese or cream wasn't considered vegetarian since it's a beef byproduct and not actual beef.

[bukephalus.livejournal.com]

Milk and eggs are entirely acceptable to so-called lacto-ovo vegetarians. But they are not vegan. These days, one has to make a distinction between vegetarian and vegan.

But I saw, screw it! Where's my MEATY version!?

[low-fat-muffin.livejournal.com]

this would be delicious - me thinks with beef broth and some flank steak prepared medium-well and served over the top of the ragu.

[eireangus.livejournal.com]

No, no - cheese is not bad unless you are vegan. They just meant that if you are kosher mixing meat with dairy is not allowed.

Personally, I adore cheese, but I am not vegan. I just don't eat meat and dairy together.

[notdefined.livejournal.com]

asiago and romano are both cheeses!

[eireangus.livejournal.com]

I know :-) hehe!

[notdefined.livejournal.com]

Any goat's milk grating cheese would be very good in this. Of course, as I was reading the recipe, I kept thinking about lentils, so now I want lentil soup! Hmmm, I wonder if I can find some for lunch?