Don’t forget yogurt hazelnut sauce when preparing this vegetarian dish from Frenchie, New Bistro Cooking (Artisan Books, April 2014) by Greg Marchand of Frenchie Restaurant in Paris.
Add to your Bastille Day feast.
Sautéed Wild Mushrooms with Grapes and Aged Mimolette
4 servings
12 ounces (320 grams) wild mushrooms, such as chanterelles, yellow-foot chanterelles, hedgehog,
porcini, and/or blewits
For the Yogurt-Hazelnut Sauce:
½ cup (125 ml.) plain full-fat yogurt
1 tablespoon chopped skinned hazelnuts
2 teaspoons freshly grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons herb leaves, such as tarragon, dill, and/or flat-leaf parsley
Hazelnut oil
Salt
For The Garnish:
2 tablespoons skinned hazelnuts
Salt
A small bunch of Muscat or black seedless grapes (about 24 grapes)
2 ounces (57 grams) aged Mimolette or aged cheddar
3 tarragon sprigs
Olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons (28 grams) unsalted butter
1 garlic clove, crushed but not peeled
Leaves from 3 thyme sprigs
Juice of ½ lemon
The Mushrooms:
It’s best to clean mushrooms with a brush, a damp cloth, and/or a small pointed knife, but if they are very dirty, remove as much dirt as possible with the knife, then dip them very briefly in cold water, drain them immediately, and dry with a paper towel or a cloth. (Mushrooms should never soak in water for more than 30 seconds.) Cut bigger mushrooms lengthwise in half; leave smaller ones whole.
The Yogurt-Hazelnut Sauce:
Put the yogurt, hazelnuts, Parmesan, herb leaves, a drizzle of hazelnut oil, and a pinch of salt in a blender and mix until creamy. If the sauce is too thick, add a drop or two of water. Adjust the salt if necessary and refrigerate. (The sauce can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.) Use extra as a delicious dip for raw vegetables, or serve it with fried chicken.
The Garnish:
Toast the hazelnuts with a pinch of salt in a small dry skillet until they are golden brown. Let them cool,
then coarsely crush them.
Separate the grapes from the stems. With a vegetable peeler, cut thin shavings from the cheese. Remove the tarragon leaves from the stems.
Finishing Touches:
Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a very large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil starts to smoke,
throw in the mushrooms and sauté them for 8 to 12 minutes, or until tender (timing will depend on the
type of mushrooms). Season with salt and pepper, then add the butter, garlic, and thyme. When the butter is foaming, add the grapes and tarragon leaves, stir gently, and add the lemon juice. Taste and adjust the seasonings if needed.
Arrange the mushrooms on four plates, scatter the crushed hazelnuts and cheese shavings over them, and drizzle with some of the sauce.
(“Excerpted from Frenchie: New Bistro Cooking by Greg Marchand (Artisan Books). Copyright © 2014. Photographs by Djamel Dine Zitout.”)