Wild Mushroom Fricassee

From In the Hands of a Chef: Cooking with Jody Adams by Jody Adams and Ken Rivard (New York: William Morrow).

MAKES 4 SIDE-DISH SERVINGS

1 1/2 pounds assorted mushrooms (portabellas, oyster, shiitakes, or chanterelles), cleaned, shiitake stems discarded

3 to 5 tablespoons unsalted butter

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 cups Chicken Stock or 4 cups high-quality canned low-sodium chicken broth reduced to 2 cups

3 shallots, minced

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup dry Marsala

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

1. Chop the mushrooms into piece 2 to 3 inches long, as necessary: I like to leave wild mushrooms as whole or as large as is practical, especially the really beautiful ones like morels and chanterelles.

2. Sauté the mushrooms in batches, each type individually . Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. As soon as it stops foaming, add the first batch of mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. If you add the mushrooms before the butter stops foaming, the pan won't be hot enough to sear. Don't crowd the pan - if you cook too many mushrooms at once, they tend to steam instead of sear. Sauté the mushrooms until they are tender and their juices have evaporated, then transfer to a plate. Add another tablespoon of butter to the pan and, as soon as it stops foaming, add the next batch of mushrooms. Continue until you've cooked all the mushrooms, adding a tablespoon of butter to the pan before each new batch.

3. While the mushrooms are cooking, bring the chicken stock to a simmer in a saucepan over medium heat and simmer until it reduces to 1 cup, about 15 minutes.

4. After removing the final batch of mushrooms from the pan, lower the heat to medium. Add 1/2 tablespoon butter to the pan, along with the shallots and garlic (do not wait for the butter to foam), and cook until the shallots are tender, about 3 minutes. Return all the mushrooms to the pan, add the Marsala and thyme, and cook until the Marsala has reduced by half.

5. Add the chicken stock to the mushrooms, simmer and reduced to make a slightly soupy sauce. Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary. Serve immediately.

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