The Kitchn: A light, surprisingly satisfying mushroom supper

Posted: Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2012

- Dana Velden

One of the beauties of this dish is that it makes good use of the everyday, often-overlooked button mushroom.

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Mushrooms on Toast

8 ounces button mushrooms

1 small shallot, minced (about 1 tablespoon)

1 small clove garlic, minced (about 1 teaspoon)

2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, divided

2 tablespoons canola or other neutral oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Splash of white wine (optional)

2 tablespoons creme fraiche (or sour cream or a splash of heavy cream)

2 slices of hearty bread, toasted

WASH the mushrooms quickly in water, drain and pat dry with a tea towel. Leave the small mushrooms whole and slice larger mushrooms into thick chunks and slices.

PREP the shallot, garlic and thyme. Have the wine and creme fraiche handy. Toast the bread.

HEAT the oil in a large, shallow skillet on high heat until it shimmers. Add all the mushrooms and give the pan a quick shake to distribute the mushrooms in an even layer. Let them sit without stirring to take on some color, about 1 minute or so. Watch carefully and lower heat if they begin to burn, but keep it as high as possible.

SHAKE the pan again or toss mushrooms to evenly color. Sprinkle on a pinch of salt and a few turn of the pepper mill. Add the shallot, stir briefly and cook for 30 seconds. Add the wine (if using), garlic and half the thyme, and remove from the heat. The pan should be hot enough to keep cooking everything.

STIR in the creme fraiche and spoon over the toast, garnishing with remaining thyme. Serve with a few slices of fresh tomatoes, if available.

YIELD: 1 serving for a hungry person or 2 for tea.

Mushrooms on toast is a British classic, usually served with tea after work or as a light supper. It is delightful in its simplicity – sauteed mushrooms with maybe a little onion and parsley, dumped over toast and dug into after a hard day’s work.

I did play with it a little in this version, which gussies things up with a splash of wine, some creme fraiche and fresh thyme. Please don’t yell at me – it’s quite good and not that fancy.

My British friend Siobhan gets her mushrooms from the woods near her house, but I just buy button mushrooms from the grocery store. I suppose you could use fancy mushrooms like porcini or chanterelles, but one of the beauties of this dish is that it makes good use of the everyday, often-overlooked button mushroom. So try it this way at least once before moving on to the posh stuff.

In the classic formula, mushrooms are cooked slowly so they release their juices. Some parsley is thrown in toward the end, and the whole thing is spooned over toast, which absorbs the delicious mushroom juices.

My version takes a different approach. The mushrooms are cooked quickly over high heat so they take on some color but don’t release their juices. It is very helpful to have a large, shallow skillet, so the mushrooms don’t pile up on top of each other and steam. It all happens rather quickly, so have your ingredients prepped and at hand, like you would for a stir-fry.

I also break with tradition by serving mushrooms on toast for breakfast, lunch or dinner. It’s especially good with a few slices of tomato on the side and a glass of rich red wine for a light supper.