Wild mushroom sauce

I have to say that I am a little but crazy about mushrooms at the moment. I can quite easily eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner. So you can imagine my excitement when the first stall I came across on at the Orange Grove Farmers Market on the weekend had the most amazing selection of fresh and dried mushrooms I have ever seen!

I bought a selection of oyster, swiss brown, chestnut, king brown, dried chanterelle, and dried porcini mushrooms, enough for quite a few meals but as we were barbequing I though it would be best to start my mushroom fiesta with a wild mushroom sauce to go with my steak.

Serves 2 (or one if I am at the table)

200 grams wild mushrooms sliced

10grams dried porcini mushrooms

10grams dried chanterelle mushrooms

1 red shallot finely diced

2 cloves garlic finely chopped

2 sprigs fresh thyme

½ cup dry white wine

1 ½ cup chicken stock

1 tablespoon veal demi glaze

30 grams butter

Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Soak dried porcini and dried chanterelle mushrooms for 20 minutes in boiling water (from the kettle) drain rinse and set aside.

Heat a heavy based fry pan over medium heat. Add half the butter, shallot, garlic and cook until softened slightly. Add mushrooms, thyme and continue to cook for 10 minutes stirring frequently and being careful not to burn.

Add wine and cook until reduced by half. Add chicken stock and demi glaze and simmer until liquid again has reduced by half. Remove from heat and whisk in remaining butter. This will thicken your sauce slightly and give it a lovely gloss. Taste for seasoning and serve. This sauce is lovely on meat poultry and even stirred through pasta.

Note – I like to drain and rise my dried mushroom as they can be ‘gritty’. If that doesn’t bother you feel free to add the mushroom stock from the soaking liquid.