My husband’s people — that would be The Russians, if you’ve been following along at home — really like their caviar. It’s rare that a signature spread of zakuski doesn’t include at least one form of gem-colored eggs by the thousands, usually served with sour cream and small crepes. Me, I’m a troglodyte; I’m unable to appreciate such fine things in life, and generally breeze right past the caviar to spear a potato with my fork.
But it doesn’t mean I don’t like a little fancy something-something now and then; I just want it to suggest caviar but not actually being it (or, ahem, costing it). So when Melissa Clark called this mushroom preparation giving them “the caviar treatment” in an article eons ago, I was both excited, because I do love me some mushrooms, and dubious — dubious enough that it took me over two years to make it. And that, my friends, was a terrible waste of time.
You have got to love a relatively simple preparation — shallots sauteed in butter, a splash of wine, a glug of cream and butter-chives-butter-bread — of pretty simple foods — onions and mushrooms — that ends up this obscenely prosh. It’s not caviar, but it may as well be to people like me. And it’s the perfect thing to put out at a party this time of year, you know, if you’re going to a lot of parties, or maybe even set out at home for whichever folks have stopped by to coo over the resident baby fish mouth this time.
We really like our mushrooms: Cabbage and Mushroom Galette, Wild Mushroom and Stilton Galette, Leek and Mushroom Quiche, Mushrooms Stuffed with Feta and Bacon, Mushroom Bourguignon, Mushroom and Barley Pie, Sundried Tomato Stuffed Mushrooms, Alex’s Chicken and Mushroom Marsala, Wild Mushroom Pirogis and Mushroom Strudel
One year ago: Zuni Cafe’s Roasted Chicken + Bread Salad and Cranberry-Vanilla Coffee Cake
Two years ago: Chicken and Dumplings
Three years ago: Boozy Baked French Toast and Onion Soup
Creamed Mushrooms on Chive Butter Toast
Adapted from Melissa Clark, New York Times, 5/16/07
Clark originally crafted this recipe for morels, but the fact that they’re out of season now was really a boon as I realized, not even for the first time, that when you cook mushrooms well, even simple brown ones will taste like luxury. I used a mix of shiitakes and creminis, but you could easily just use creminis. They’ll still taste like they should be served from an ornate glass bowl with a delicate silver spoon.
1/2 pound cremini mushrooms, or a mix of wild mushrooms such as morels, shiitakes, oysters or chanterellas
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, more for toast
1 large or 2 small shallots, chopped
2 tablespoons dry white wine or white vermouth
1/4 cup heavy cream
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Slices brioche or good white bread, crusts cut off if desired
1 tablespoon fresh chopped chives
Coarse sea salt such as fleur de sel or Maldon, for garnish
Clean excess dirt from mushrooms. Slice mushrooms in half lengthwise and brush away any grit; chop into 1/4-inch pieces.
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots and sauté until very limp, about three minutes. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring, for about five minutes. Add wine, reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook for about five minutes more. (There are a lot of “abouts” on the cooking times because I found that mine took less time at each step; however, I also may have chopped my mushrooms and shallots smaller than the recommended size.)
Uncover pot and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated, about two minutes. Stir in cream; simmer until slightly thickened, two minutes longer. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Toast bread and spread with butter. (Clark recommended four slices of brioche, to make eight toasts, but I had enough mushrooms for almost triple that.) Cut each slice in half diagonally and sprinkle lightly with chives. Top each toast triangle with some mushroom mixture. Sprinkle with additional chives, garnish with sea salt, and serve.
Other uses for these mushrooms: I’d imagine they’d make a wonderful simple pasta sauce or, of course, something delicious to prop a poached egg upon, toast and all.
[Update: Thanks to the six (!) people who have noted that the theory that mushrooms absorb too much water to be washed has been rejected over time. They do absorb water, but not enough that they should throw off a dish. Wash away!]
I have oyster mushrooms in my refrigerator right now. This is perfect!! Photos are great!! I love your writing also.
Oh my gosh – those look and sound delicious! I’m mad about mushrooms and love this preparation; nice change from the usual saute. Many thanks!
Can I make a big batch of the mushroom mixture a day ahead and reheat with some cream just before serving for a party? I would obviously make the roar just before serving. Thanks in advance!
Sorry, I saw this question was previously asked and answered!
Yum, sounds delicious!
I made your creamed spinach last night! yum-ola!!–and I’ll probably make this one for our NYE dinner–
Lucky for me every member of my family is crazy about mushrooms in every form–this looks awesome!
This sounds fantastic. I have some leftover brioche from my holiday party last night (oh where was this recipe 36 hours ago?), perhaps I should make this so we have an incentive to finish it up :-)
Mmmm this looks delicious. I love mushrooms.
Deb, you just made my mouth water! Looks so spectacular. I want some of that right now! It’s a pity I’ve got to wait a few days until I go grocery shopping :(
This looks lovely! I do have one question, though: Can the mushroom spread be made ahead of time and refrigerated until ready to use, say, by a few hours?
Barbara + others who want to make these ahead of time — I did reheat ours, but I needed an extra glug of cream to get it saucy again (you know, because mushrooms are so absorbent). Also, I felt some of the winey flavor had disappeared. But yes, they otherwise reheat well.
These sound great and love the simplicity of toast points. I recently did something similar but served the mushroom duxelle on pieces of baked polenta. It was delish but the polenta was too time consuming; this is much better for a last minute appetizer. Thanks!
This is just what I need for Saturday. Thank you!!
Goodness Gracious this is making my mouth water. I am as crazy for mushrooms as your husband is for Caviar, (maybe because my mothers people come from the Tyrol forest region?). Wild mushrooms, as you mention, sound absolutely delightful.
Thank you Deb :)
Michaela
Looks delish, but Deb, honey, I think your shrooms-washing routine is way more involved than it needs to be. Alton Brown debunked the idea that mushrooms are super absorbent in an episode of Good Eats entitled Myth Smashers. He found that four ounces of mushrooms when washed only soak up a teaspoon or so of water. Science fact! To each her own, but in my book an extra teaspoon or two of water is not enough to entail an hour of paper towel changing.
this is right up my alley. thank you.
Oh wow, I LOVE mushrooms. This is definitely on my list of things to make!
This is the perfect holiday appetizer! They look delicious!
Mmmm…this looks decadent, and I now know what I’m bringing to my aunt’s Christmas Eve gathering!
I can’t believe it. First of all, the recipe looks delicious, I am a long time reader and (I think) first time commenter. My inaugural comment, however, is not because of the recipe (though, again, super yummy) but because unless I am mistaken you just quoted part of my favorite quote from the gold standard of romantic comedy: When Harry Met Sally.
Am I correct that you would know what I was talking about if I mentioned that “baby fish mouth [was] sweeping the nation”?
If no: Please disregard this crazy comment
If yes: Seriously, please be my new best friend.
Update: I should follow links! You WERE referencing WHMS!!!
Snaps lady. Serious snaps.
I live in Idaho, and you wouldn’t believe the sparse selection of breads and bakeries we have here. Every store has the same brands, -there’s no variety! Even the stores that have a bakery use the same frozen doughs that every other place uses. So, please, all of you “easterners”, -be grateful for the variety of lovely baked goods and foods you have to choose from! I’m so envious!
Now we’re talkin’. Yum.
Mushrooms are one of those ingredients that I hated until I was about 20, and now I love them. This looks both “fancy” and delicious – a winning combination!
You make a bowl of mushrooms look magical – what amazing talent and skill with a camera you have! And your words make the recipe come alive. Can’t tell you how much I enjoy reading your blog. Particularly the posts which include photos of your handsome little guy!
Made the biscuits and they turned out great, next time I am going to add candied ginger to the mix. LOVE mushrooms so this is right up my alley!
Prosh? I’m guessing that was just a typo, but it seems appropriate for this dish. Like a combo of posh + proletariat, since it’s made from fairly cheap ingredients but seems fancy.
I love mushrooms and toast! Never thought of this combination before, thanks :)
Sounds super delicious!
These look yummy! So perfect for a holiday party.
That looks so very yummy. And seems like do-able for me :) Thank you for sharing the recipe.
Sounds delish, this is a dish I’ve ordered in pubs/ restaurants before. It may be simple but when it’s done well it really elevates the humble mushroom to a high level. And I adore adore adore mushrooms anyway!
Mmmm this sounds amazing.
This really looks good.
I’m also with you on the whole potato vs. caviar thing. And the mushrooms. Oh, the mushrooms. I think I am going to try this with reconstituted dried morels. Maybe a mixture of morels, creminis and chanterelles. Lovely holiday appetizer, thank you for sharing!
LOVE LOVE LOVE mushrooms!!! And beautiful photography.
Sending baby kisses!!!
Jen-
I can’t wait to try these, thanks for the recipe and the lovely photos!
The mushrooms look delicious, but the kiddo takes the cake. When did he get so big already?
I will be using this as appetizers for my parties. Thanks! Love your blog, recipes and photos! Carmen
I hear you about the caviar! I just can’t make myself eat it, but then, I am not much for any seafood. It looks beautiful dolloped on a pillow of sour cream or whatever and I’ve tried to like it, I really have, but it just doesn’t do it for me. Mushrooms have taken long enough for me to like and I do like them now as long as they are of the firm variety and chopped fine or minced and well seasoned. This looks like something I would try and probably like. Thanks for offering an alternative that looks sophisticated enough to present at a dinner party.
I would love to put these mushrooms into a savory tart with some gruyere cheese! It’s amazing what a great substitute mushrooms are for “meat”. They can satisfy the pickiest of carnivores.
I came on here to get my favorite granola bar recipe and then I saw this recipe which I already have on my grocery list. Thank you for baby fish face. My friends are here and we all cooed over the face. They asked if I knew you and I pretended I did so I didn’t seem weird ;)
Where’s the baby?!
This recipe is perfect for upcoming holiday parties!
I love the baby fish face on Jacob…he really is sweeping the nation! :-)
Thanks for sharing, Deb!
when i was younger, i thought if i ate caviar, my social status would go up 2 steps higher. so i tried it and uh uh. i couldn’t take it, so i settled for nutella on bread. :) but this one looks great i have left over mushrooms from last night, i just need to buy some cream.
oh, the baby’s fish mouth… sooooo cute! i can’t get over it. :)
I agree with Ginny@13! Washing mushrooms will allow them to pick up a small amount of water, but really not much, and not enough to make a difference. Here’s the link to the transcript of the episode in question- http://www.goodeatsfanpage.com/Season2/Mushroom/MushroomTranscript.htm
I just bought a bag of mushrooms from the market, but they’re destined for risotto!! will definitely try it soon though – alex’s chicken and mushroom marsala is one of our go to dinners.
Mushroom anything is a winner in my book- what a great appetizer/finger food party idea!
I’m gonna love this! Thank you.
Toss in a bit of fresh thyme, eliminate the cream, and this makes the BEST quiche filling (along with some shredded swiss or gruyere, of course)…
I make a similar filling with walnuts added and spooned into a cream cheese pastry and folded into small turnovers for appetizers. Yum! Thanks for the reminder.
For years I thought mushrooms tasted like dirt. Then, I had this appetizer at some fancy restaurant. I can’t remember the main course but I remember this. Now that I am a convert, this mushroom “appetizer” will certainly be a meal many nights at my house. Thanks.
Where is he ? I need my baby picture fix !
Oh – this is great – no surprise there though! In addition to served on toast points, these mushrooms topped on whole toast or polenta would make for a great dinner for one or 2 in between all those holiday parties…
This looks great! If I were at a party and this was served at a party I would be sooooooo happy. I need to make this for our annual Christmas Eve party.
What? No gratuitous baby picture?
Guess I’ll make these anyway… I love mushrooms. I also love caviar, but these look like an excellent addition to the Hanukkah party menu.
These look fantastic… great appetizer without being all like “Hey, I’m fancy schmancy”. Gotta try ’em. Thanks!
This sounds so good! I’m definitely trying it for an upcoming Christmas party. Thanks for the wonderful recipe!
I have a sandwich cutter that cuts bread into the shape of two dinosaurs.
The only thing better than delicious creamed mushrooms on chive butter toast?
Delicious creamed mushrooms on chive butter DINOSAUR toast.
I have made this appetizer for years — and if you ever have any of the mushroom “roux” left over, it makes the most delicious cream of mushroom soup by just adding some milk. In fact, this is my “go to” recipe for cream of mushroom soup.
anything is better with cream, but mushrooms are my favorite.
Jenni @ 56 FTW.
I would love to make this but I would probably end up just eating the mushrooms before I could actually get them on the toast, or even seasoned.I LOVE mushrooms.
Looks lovely! I’m laughing at the above commenter’s idea to use dinosaur cookie cutters because I always see fun shaped cookie cutters in the store but just don’t make enough cookies to find uses for all of them. I may be stealing that idea and serving these mushrooms on toast cut in the shape of dinosaurs too!
I’m totally making these for Christmas Eve. Love.
Wonderful. I love mushrooms… and this looks like a nice way to “forget about” the stuffed mushroom and bring in something much yummier.
PS. I was at one of those great Xmas parties you mentioned and two of the ladies I love and had previously shared this blog with came bearing your Chicken Meatballs! (They were wonderful. Thanks for making my party experience that much better.)
Love the simplicity of this recipe… and more to it, I loooove mushrooms. I’ll have to try it soon for an upcoming Christmas home party and see what the feedback will :) My feedback in advance is definitely yum!
Looks and sounds like it is wonderful!! Would love a bit right now. :)
bookmarked it! this looks super gorgeous!
This sounded so good, until I realized that you just described the standart mushroom pasta sauce my mom makes. She adds a tiny bit of smoked cheese into the mushrooms, which gives it a rich flavour, and obviously more cream to make it a sauce. I never thought about spreading this on toast – but I’ll try it for New Years. Perfect way to transform a basic pasta sauce into an brilliant sounding finger-food. Thanks for making me look like I can actually cook… ;)
I saw an episode of the food detective on foodtv in which they tested the water content of mushrooms before washing and after washing……..After washing and drying the mushrooms there was no discernable water retention…. just an interesting side note.
Morgan
And I think just found the appetizer for my New Year’s Day brunch. These look terrific!
I have to admit something. . . .I’ve started skimming your entries -preferring to first look at baby pictures, then go back and read what you’ve written. Both look yummy!
So could I forgo the toasts and just eat these mushrooms with a spoon? DELICIOUS! I just bought a bunch of criminis and was wondering what to do with them. Oh – and I love the fish face. Adorable.
Ohh, the “baby fish mouth” is just so cute! I might have “Awww”-ed out loud. haha This recipe looks phenomenal…as I mushroom lover…I am alll about this!
When I was growing up, whenever we had a steak dinner, my mother always fried sliced mushrooms and onions in lots of butter to put on the steak — except that she always made buttered toast to put a big spoonful on as the cook’s treat before dinner was even ready. And if one of us kids happened to be in the kitchen at the time, we got some of the cook’s treat too. Come to to think of it, it’s the only time I remember my mother NOT yelling at one of us for eating something right before dinner….. :) Oh, and sometimes the steak ended up going naked!
I have always washed my mushrooms very very well – a simple experiment is to weigh them before washing and after – obviously drying them on paper towels or over a cloth afterward.
no change in weight – only in the dirt content ;-)
I bet these mushrooms would be perfect in beef wellington – which I might make for Christmas, in that case, I’ll try it
People look at me with sheer amazement when I tell them this : I LOATHE caviar. Now I am one to appreciate many fine things in life (wine, macarons, fois gras, raw oysters) but caviar makes me want to hurl (even when sitting in a posh restaurant aboard a cruise ship) but I do like the stuff caviar is served with!
Anyway mushrooms, when cooked properly really do make a fine substitute for a lot of other foods because of their texture and unique flavor. As for the brushing vs. washing – I’m not too fond of eating dirt, so I always wash my mushrooms and dry them out as you do Deb.
Seriously Ms.Smitten, these look insanely yummy!
Wow looks great! Did a similar dish for Thanksgiving but used pacific northwest
chantrelles and did smear of homemade fromage blanc so the shrooms would not
go anywhere and drizzled with an Italian nuovo olive oil Yum!
This sounds delicious. I make something similar, but as a pasta sauce, with more cream and some garlic too – yummy!
I’ve made this for years but use cream cheese instead of cream and then pipe the mixture into pate a choux puffs. Always a hit! Thanks for reminding me of this great recipe.
Baby fish mouth. That reminds me- my last TiVo ate that DVD. Must add to Xmas list….
Fresh chives are not always available where I shop so if my choices are freeze dried chives, the tops of scallions or parsley what might you suggest?
Hi Deb~
I have been an enthusiast of your blog for a while but have not commented yet. I am a former caterer (yippee for the former part!!) and you have helped me get back into the kitchen and cook with joy again. I love not only your style of writing but your recipes rock….Everything I have made has turned out fabulously. I always come to your site first when searching for what to make. I was invited to a cookie party this past weekend and searched your site for the perfect cookie for somebody who does not bake….Your Austrian shortbread and raspberry bar cookies were not only easy but yummy. Thanks for your continued inspiration.
We adore mushrooms and this sounds fantastic. It would be perfect for a party, too. This is going on the NYE party list!
Yummy! I’ll take mushrooms over caviar any day. I’ll have to make these for New Year’s Eve.
I must admit to despising both caviar -and- mushrooms, but I have a few poeple in my life who would go nuts for this recipe. I’ll definitely pass it along!
Oh, and I got the “Baby Fish Mouth” reference immediately, snickering under my breath at the image. =)
Yum! One of my friends makes mushroom rollups which is very much a low brow version of this dish (I mean, you roll out squishy white bread – so very low brow!). I’m sure she would get behind this dish as well!
This is a great recipe. I think I will make some for this coming weekend.
I love mushrooms… and always have some in the fridge to use one way or another. This recipe of yours will make it to our dinner table. I will just replace the brioche with a polenta-type of crust. Would be a great dinner entree for my children.
PS: Your son looks really cute! Is he bubbling llike a fish yet?
This looks delicious, but…NO baby picture? What is going on here?
Wait, there’s a link that looks suspiciously like a baby link….nevermind, carry on.
For a few years I’ve been making somthing very much like this as a topping for toast or filling for ravioli and quiches or tarts. I adapted it from my mother’s recipe for tiny mushroom turnovers that originally used jarred sliced mushrooms. You can vary the herbs — rosemary is great — and use in so many ways. Especially if I use it as a filling I make it a day or two ahead as the lack of sauciness is not an issue for that purpose.
What a beautiful, simple little bite of yumminess!
Arg!Mushrooms are not on my list of favorite things…I’m trying but just haven’t been able to eat them let alone cook with them. Perhaps I make for nye and see if after a few glasses of champagne they look appealing (since everything after champagne does).
The british news magazine The Week (all you need to know about everything that matters) just ran a similar recipe for mushrooms on toast, but not so fancy. My abfab favorite mushrooms, the ones that converted me, are these very wholesome (no, really) deep-friend shiitakes I have every year at the MOFGA Common Ground Fair. It’s hippie central, and these things are made of nothing but (organic) mushrooms, flour, soy oil, eggs and heaven.
Deb, you’re my hero. Babies + December festivies, and you’re still posting phenomenal stuff regularly!
These look like the perfect party appetizer! The mushrooms are so pretty :)
Perfect holiday appetizer! I’ve recently started using shitakes and morrels in rice and farro dishes and am in love. These will be added to the holiday list, for sure. Thanks, Deb.
And CONGRATS on your mention in O Magazine. I was sitting with my mom at the kitchen counter last night and she was like “hmmm, sweetie do you know of this blog Smitten Kitchen–she does that food blogging thing like you do.” :)
Great news–much deserved.
All those luxurious sounding ingredients: brioche, butter, mushrooms, shallots, white wine or vermouth – would have to add up to something divine. Can’t wait to try this recipe.
Looks absolutely delicious but needs a new name. I almost skipped this based on the name alone but glad I decided to take a peek anyway. Definitely making this for the holidays. Had something very similar last week at a restaurant and couldn’t get enough of it.
Deb- do you have latke recipes? I just ate a dinner of latkes made of potato and sweet potato, and it was divine, but SO oily. I realize that’s a silly statement and that this is a silly question, but do you know of a way to fry that doesn’t go THUMP quite so loud?
Sounds and looks mouthwatering!
These sound, andlook, delicious! One of my favorite side dishes is basically the un-fancy version of this: creamed mushrooms. I take the same basic ingredients, no wine, but 1/4 cup parmesan cheese and plenty of pepper, and put buttered white bread in a ramekin, top with mushroom mixture and bake, so tasty!
I’m also completely addicted to trader joe’s frozen mushroom turnovers, same basic idea inside a lovely little pastry package!
I have a question about using some dried mushrooms in this dish – it’s certainly a lot easier here to have some wild dried mushrooms on hand in the pantry than to find fresh wild mushrooms whenever I want them; any thoughts about how the dish would be if made with the normal white mushrooms and rehydrated dried wild mushrooms? Would it make the texture weird (I can’t imagine it would adversely affect flavor)?
I’m such a dork. I left the mushroom comment over on Flickr. That photo is just too precious. I lost my mind. I’m making this mushroon thing, I promise.
V
I’m intrigued and enticed by the idea of giving mushrooms the caviar treatment. This is a simple and elegant recipe. Kudos!
these look beautiful and delicious! i love the simplicity and decadence of your last two posts – they inspire me to get creative with basic ingredients – thank you!
Wooo~! I did this with a substitution and it was mah-ve-lous! Instead of cream I used pureed silken tofu (with just a tiny bit of red miso to liven it up) seriously. Fabulous.
Deb….if this recipe is ANYTHING like your pumpkin pie recipe (I know – I’m comparing apples to oranges here ;) – I know I will be blown away by this one – and so will my guests. BTW, I also made your Snickerdoodle cookie recipe over the weekend. Talk about an OMG moment. I’m having a hell of a time keeping everyone out of the cookie container. Have mercy, woman!! ;) Thanks for all your great recipes. Love ya!
Deb – judging from all the party though comments, I think this one need to be added to the “party food” button on the left!!
This looked so delicious I HAD to make it last night, even though I did not have chives (I subsituted green onions) in the house and only had plain white button mushrooms. The dish turned out wonderful anyway–creamy, rich and earthy! Delicious! Thanks so much! I will definitely be making this one again and again!
No baby pictures?
Oh wow! It’s amazing that you succeed to use heavy cream even when you’re not posting desserts ;) Far from healthy, but probably dangerously tasty …
These are gorgeous, and seem like the perfect winter meal…hearty, but not too heavy. Will try these for sure.
I trust you, so I’m willing to try this. By the way, I made the spiced brownies: deeeeelicious. I never thought homemade brownies were worth it, but I was wrong. So so wrong.
Please continue to post zakuski like recipes. I need ideas for new recipes to bring to my grandmothers’ dinners. Your instructions and photos are the best.
Hi Mariya — If you follow the link on the word zakuski, you’ll see an article I wrote for NPR with a few zakuski recipes in it.
Alton Brown nothing–*Harold McGee* found it’s fine to wash mushrooms. I have washed them ever since.
This looks and sounds delicious. What could be better than bread, butter, shallots and mushrooms? Your photography is absolutely amazing! The resolution is fantastic.
I made this last night for my book club Christmas party- quite the hit! It’s nice that I feel I can do a recipe I find on here and be confident enough to present it to friends on the first go round.
Hi Deb,
I too almost passed this by because of the name : ) About 8 years ago I made something similar using dried wild mushrooms and cremini. It was part of a green bean casserole I made for Thanksgiving. The mushroom sauce replaced the canned cream of mushroom soup normally used. We still talk about that green bean casserole : ) Unfortunately I lost the recipe in my move from California to Texas, so when I read the recipe I was so happy : ) It brings back such great memories of that year.
I really enjoy your site and I love to read the updates that are delivered to my email. Today I got lost and ended up reading about the ‘Wedding Cake’ : )
Thank you for sharing.
Happy Holidays to you and your family
Sincerely,
Sandy Armstrong
Have I died and gone to heaven? This looks and sounds absolutely divine!
your baby is a darling!
That looks fantastic. I love the meatiness of mushrooms.
I’ve been on a recent mushroom kick- adding these to the list!
Deb – These look incredible and much simpler than the potted mushrooms I have been making for the last three years or so! Those take 2 hours in the oven… Who has the time for that??
Made this last night….so yummy! Used the leftovers on pasta at lunch. Was delicious, as you predicted. Added a little of the pasta cooking water and parmesan cheese. Thanks!
This dish looks absolutely divine! I wouldn’t put it past myself to make and eat all of it myself. I can’t wait to try the recipe!
Such a simple and elegant twist on a mushroom app…a rich mushroom crostini on light brioche! Sounds amazing. My family’s having a seafood feast on Christmas Eve this year and I’ll be making this along with a Champagne and Scallop Risotto I posted a couple weeks ago.
Thanks kindly! I’m sure it’ll taste as good as you’ve made it look!
mushroom caviar would be a great addition when serving and entertaining vegetarians.
Dirk
Food Lovers Heaven
Wonderful, wonderful! I gave this a mega-tightwad spin— it was still way yummy– and blogged about it today with a linkback to you.
Thanks for sharing!!
Mary
OMG, this looks sooo good! We have mushrooms and shallots and everything but brioche. I think baguette slices will have to do in a pinch since we’re about to get snowed in and there is no way I’m going to the grocery store this afternoon! Your coffee toffee is tomorrow’s project. It’s all good – especially little mister fish mouth.
Made this for dinner tonight over pasta. Delicious! Thank you.
this is so tasty. i chopped a piece of bacon and fried it with the shallots and added a touch of parmesan with the cream, then had the whole shebang over egg noodles… wonderful. this one is definitely going in my recipe box. thanks again, deb!
The recipes are great, but what’s REALLY great are the photos! KUDOS to your amazing photographer!!
such an elegant appetiser. i absolutely adore mushrooms. cream, wine, chives- all gorgeous ingredients. the photos are very beautiful, but then again, youre known for that. happy hols and best wishes, esp to the new addition in the fam, shayma
The mushroom part sounds very similar to a mushroom stuffed baby potato appetizer recipe I had a few weeks ago – they were delicious! I’m going to try whipping up that alternate and see what I think!
I’m going to make brioche today just so we can enjoy this for Christmas! It sounds like an absolute winner. One of our guests is very allergic to wine so I am thinking of subbing in lemon juice and a pinch of sugar for the vermouth. Thanks for the great recipe.
Hello
I love your site. I’m wondering if you have ever considered an option where people commenting could click on a button that would indicate if they have made it? I love to know people’s experiences and suggestions after having made it, but you are sooo popular that there are so many comments and it takes a long time.
Thanks
Kelly
This is so gorgeous, I’m going to make these tonight!!
hello! I made this today for St. Thorlac’s day lunch, and my boyfriend thought it was wonderful (so did I)! Thank you for posting great recipes (and pictures that give me the courage to try them.
Scrumptious !!! I’m drooling as I write this.
Hello. I am a new reader and have fallen in love with your blog. I cooked a holiday themed dinner for friends last night and made this as an appetizer for them. They loved it! I wasn’t able to find brioche, so I used a White Pullman Loaf for the toast and it worked pretty well, though I would have liked to use brioche. In my haste to serve my hungry guests I forgot to butter the toast, but there was so much butter in my meal that it did not impact the taste at all. The mushrooms were rich and creamy and amazing! The chives sprinkled on top really accentuated the dish. My guests could not stop raving about it. Next time I will add more mushrooms to the mix. I used 1/2 pound of Crimini which produced about 12 toasts with a smear of the mixture. DELICIOUS!!! Keep the amazing recipes coming! I can’t wait to try out some more!
oh my word this looks so yummy! can’t wait to make it :) seriously craving mushrooms now
I made the mushrooms this morning to use today as an appetizer. It was so delicious, everyone raved about it. I served them with two other recipes of yours; the parmesan black pepper biscotti and the rosemary flatbread. Both were terrific as vehicles for the mushrooms. I rolled the flatbreads so thin they were perfect shards of cracker for this. Thanks, Deb.
I’m making this for every party I go to in the next week. its such a success, although with younger folks they dont like the brown mush. but once they taste it, they all want more!! thanks!
normally i hate mushrooms but you made these look so good i just had to try it out, and they were so tasty! i couldn’t believe how quickly we ate them up. also, in case your curious, i mention another method of making the duxelles on my blog post.
You guys may already know this but in my grocery store there are no cremini mushrooms to be found. But I noticed a package labeled “baby portobellas” and they looked really similar. A quick google assured me they are the same thing.
I made mine in my trusty cast iron and it wasn’t too sticky and thickened nicely. This was a wonderful recipe and I added toasted chopped walnuts to the top of mine before serving. A big hit at Christmas Eve dinner.
Hi Samantha — Yes, they are the same thing. I think stores get to charge more when they call them “baby portobellas” because for a while there, those big mushrooms were considered a luxury! Glad you enjoyed.
I made this last night and it was wonderful. Everyone loved the ‘mushroom caviar’ and it went quicker than the real stuff! My youngest daughter now thinks you are the best cook ever, as I got her last birthday cake from your website as well.
These were heaven on a rainy Sunday. Thank you.
I made these Christmas Eve with mixed mushrooms and they were delicios. Big Big Hit!
Just ate this, But with poached eggs and I declare it my new favorite breakfast, I hereby re-name it poor woman’s caviar!!
A very original and delicious recipe, thanks
Cleaning mushrooms: I rinse mine en masse very quickly (drain on paper towel) and then peel them. It sounds tedius, but it’s actually the easiest thing in the world! (My mother-in-law used to do it.) You’re guaranteed to have pristine-clean mushrooms to use in your recipes. Just take a small paring knife and grab a little flap of mushroom where it begins to fold from the outside to the inside, and pull. You can do an entire box in minutes. I hope this helps a bit with the wash/don’t wash controversy. Rinse & peel. Voila!
This was so good. I love the simple but at the same time amazing taste.
Hi Deb, do you remember about what the finished volume of the mushrooms were? (i.e. a cup or so?) I need to transport this to a potluck and am trying to figure out if I have a pretty transport container of the right size. Thanks!
Good question — perhaps a cup?
OMG, just ate this for dinner… DELICIOUS. I didn’t buy brioche so I just used some wheat sourdough from a local bakery. The mushrooms are insaaaane; this recipe is definitely in my top 3 mushrooms recipes ever! It didn’t yield a lot at the end–just enough for 2 people as a light dinner. We wished we had more after we ate all of it. Fantastic and rich but not too rich!
HEAVEN. Creamy, savory, mushroomy heaven. Such a simple recipe that has so much satisfying flavor and depth. I made it with other appetizers for a tapas-style football party. Everyone loved it. I stirred my chives in with the mushroom mixture at the very end instead of sprinkling them on top. The next day we ate the leftovers on toast with a fried egg. If possible, it was even more divine. Thanks Deb!
This made a very simple tasty lunch. Served on wholemeal toast alongside a simple salad, enjoyed by everyone especially my toddler.
This is the best thing ever! Did someone say poached egg? WOW
Just made this and put it over angel hair pasta (with scallions instead of chives, whole milk instead of heavy cream, and a half a sweet onion instead of scallions–stuck inside bc of snow). DELICIOUS!!! Added shredded parmesan too. Adding this recipe to my bi-weekly dinner rotation! (I’m a student and I have a hard time coming up with quick, easy, healthier-than-takeout dinner ideas) Thanks Deb!!! Longtime reader/smittenkitchen lover)
Of all the recipes I’ve tried from your site (and there are many), this is my favorite by far! My best friend and I make it ALL the time.
Sounds like my fav mushroom recipe
Very nice
Try throwing a little prosciutto in it
This is one of the best things I have ever made in my life.
Served this over polenta (cooked in chicken broth and finished with Parmesan and butter), with poached eggs on top. It’s a keeper! And definitely works as a main dish.
This looks wonderful! I’m always searching for delicious and interesting ideas for breakfast, and how great would this be next to a pile of scrambled eggs? I think I know what we’ll be eating Saturday morning….
Would this “filling” work in a small pastry tart shell? If so, would you need to pre-bake the tart shell, or could you fill & then bake the appetizer in one go? What do you think?
Maybe. There’s not going to be anything holding it together and I’d probably approach it as you suggest, prebaking the tart shell, making the mushrooms and just adding them to the shell. No need to bake further.
Re: washing mushrooms – I always wash them with the quickly under a thin stream of water with the rounded side up – like rain – & brush or cut away whatever needs removing underneath. Works.
Hi Deb, Do you think dry sherry would work here, instead of the dry white wine/vermouth?
Definitely. I also like dry marsala with mushrooms.
One of my favorite appetizers of all times. It was served at a supper club, and no one could get enough. Very indulgent, rich and oozing with rustic mushrooms flavor.
This was an absolutely delicious appetizer for my husband and me for cocktails at the cottage. Next time I am going to try some smoked salt instead of kosher salt. Thanks for another great recipe!
how many does this serve?
Try a bit of bourbon instead of the wine (and I add a little Dijon mustartd)—delish!
Can this dish be made with rehydrated dried mushrooms? Would that change cooking method or timing?
I haven’t used them here but it might work. I don’t think they need as much cooking time.
Thank you for this recipe. We had it tonight as a little appetizer before dinner. I thought I still had a few little strands of chives in my herb garden but I was wrong. So while the mixture was burning off the excess liquid I added about 1/4 tsp of fresh chopped thyme. I’m sure I changed the flavor profile quite a bit from the original but with thyme and mushrooms, you can’t go wrong. Thanks again. We loved it!
Oh yeah, and I highly recommend a martini with this dish, especially if using vermouth instead of wine.
You are exactly right – this made a delicious pasta sauce! Thanks for the easy recipe and a way to use up mushrooms before they went bad.
I just made this! But ate it straight from the pan, sans delightful toast. I used heavy whipping cream, leftover from other holiday treats. Didn’t fry shallots but used onion powder at the end instead. It feels like heresy typing out all my shortcuts, but it was so good and simple! Thanks Deb!
Could you chop the mushrooms in a food processor, or would that make this too pasty?
It’s risky because some pieces will always end up too fine.
I just made this and it was so delicious that I nearly ate it all for “dinner” oops….
Omg- I put these on a par baked pizza crust brushed with really good olive oil and sprinkled with chives. Added the mushrooms, and crumbled some Baltic Farmers Cheese on top.
Best. Pizza. Ever!
Thanks for another winner!
Ooh! As a pizza topping is an amazing idea!! I might do a light base of mozzarella-and a few shavings of reggiano when it comes out of the oven.
I made this recipe a few years ago- on brioche toasts and it was delicious. We enjoyed them with some amazing belgian beers on a snowy afternoon along with a cheese board and charcuterie. Tomorrow I’m serving them in toasted, buttered, chived baguette slices. I’m
Hoping it’s just as delicious. I made the mushroom mixture ahead of time and will heat it up with a bit of cream as you suggested. Thanks
We had ours spooned on baguette toasted with butter and then topped with grated cheddar and run under the broiler. Divine!
This is basically the same as the stuffed mushroom recipe my family always uses, which I think is from Julia Child originally, just making it all into the stuffing instead of stuffing one hand with the other!
Whoops, half, not hand!