1966 WDEC - Duxelles

Duxelles, a cooked dry mushroom seasoning, has a deep and earthy flavor. (photo by Courtney)

Back to the Woman's Day Encyclopedia of Cookery after a long hiatus. As I move through the volumes, less is (understandably) new, and I find I'm moving fairly quickly. The thing that caught my eye this wime was Duxelles, a dry, cooked mushroom preparation used "wherever the flavor of mushrooms is desirable."

Duxelles
(to make about 3/4 cup)
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, minced
1 Tbsp cooking oil (I used coconut oil)
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp minced scallions
1/2 cup beef bouillon
Salt and pepper to taste

Place mushrooms, on handful at a time, into clean kitchen towel. Over a bowl twist towel into a ball to extract as much mushroom juice as possible (use mushroom juice for sauces, soups, stews, etc.). Heat oil and butter in skillet; over moderate heat saute mushrooms and scallions in it, stirring frequently. Cook for about 7 minutes, or until mushroom pieces are browned and separated from each other. Add bouillon. Cook over high heat, stirring constantly, until bouillon has evaporated and mixture is dry. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Cooking Notes: Somewhat unusually, I followed the recipe exactly. There was, however, too much oil for the mushrooms I had, and the mixture never did become dry. When it became clear that all the bouillon was gone and any further cooking would cause the mushrooms to burn, I took them off the heat. I then drained them well before putting them away.

Eating Notes: Rich, deep, and earthy, this makes an amazing spice. I added half to the gravy on our Christmas Wagyu beef brisket, and the result was an easy dish with incredible flexibility.

Because the mushrooms are minced, pressed, and well-cooked, this is a great way to use up any mushrooms that are a bit past their prime, even if they are a little dry. As the WDEC notes, the dry preparation will last "for several weeks in the refrigerator and may be frozen."