Yield: 4
Time: 30 minutes
The mushrooms used in my recipe are fresh Cèpes (Porcini mushrooms), one of the most looked after during “mushrooms hunting season”. Found in abundance in November when the still-warm soil and the recurring rains bring those treasures to light. Mushrooming is not quite an activity for everyone, so your best bet for this delectable dish is fresh mushrooms bought on the markets. The dish goes well with any grilled meat or on its own as a vegetarian choice.
Use wild mushrooms, preferably Cèpes or other edible wild mushrooms for this pleasing recipe. If unavailable I would go for Cremini mushrooms, also known as baby bella or baby portobello mushrooms.
Persillade (persil = parsley in French) is a recurrent theme in the Provençal kitchen. No wonder, the irresistible aroma of garlic and parsley makes any dish glorious. It can be added during the preparation of the dish for a more subtle flavor, at the very end to provide a more garlicky taste or even used raw as a garnish.
Ingredients:
- 1 lb (500 g) wild mushrooms, preferably Cèpes or other edible wild mushrooms, otherwise Cremini mushrooms
- 1/2 cup (14 g) flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves
- juice of 1 lemon
- 4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- salt and freshly ground pepper
Preparation:
Prepare the Persillade first. Chop parsley and garlic finely. Mix them together. Taste for salt and pepper. You find the complete recipe here.
Clean the wild mushrooms or criminis. Remove the stem ends and any brown spots, rub the cap carefully with a smooth cloth. Rinse them quickly under cold water and dry them. Slice the mushrooms and sprinkle with lemon juice to avoid oxidation. If you use small, cultivated mushrooms like criminis, you can leave them whole.
Warm the olive oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Add mushrooms and sauté them, stirring very gently with a wooden spoon for 3-4 minutes or until they have lost a good deal of their water. Season with salt and pepper, add the Persillade and continue to sauté for 1-2 minutes more. The scent of the Persillade should permeate the air. Stir gently once more, but avoid breaking the mushrooms. Squeeze lemon juice over it and sprinkle with extra parsley.
