Duxelles recipe

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Duxelles is a finely chopped mixture of mushrooms , onions or shallots and herbs, sautéed in butter, and reduced to a paste (sometimes cream is used as well). It is a basic preparation used in stuffings and sauces (notably, beef Wellington), or as a garnish. Duxelles can also be filled into a pocket of raw pastry and baked as a savoury tart (similar to a hand-held pie).

Duxelles is made with any cultivated or wild mushroom, depending on the recipe. Duxelles made with wild porcini mushrooms will be much stronger flavoured than that made with white mushrooms or brown mushrooms. Fresh mushrooms are usually used, however reconstituted dried varieties are used as well. If you want a stronger flavour, use a mixture of both.

Duxelles is a useful way to freeze and store mushrooms that would not normally be reusable after freezing.

Duxelles is said to have been created by the 17th-century French chef François Pierre La Varenne (1615–1678) and to have been named after his employer, Nicolas Chalon du Blé, marquis d'Uxelles, maréchal de France.

Ingredients

• 250 g mushrooms chopped very finely. A mixture of chestnut mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms and wild mushrooms works well.
• 2 shallots peeled and chopped very finely
• 2 gloves of Garlic, peeled and crushed
• 3 to 4 tablespoons butter
• 50 ml dry white wine
• Splash of lemon juice
• 1 sprig of thyme
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Don't rush this, it's quite long-winded and will probably take around 30 minutes cooking.

1. Gently sauté garlic and shallots in the the finely chopped mushrooms in the butter for about 6 minutes until soft.
2. Add the chopped mushrooms and the whole sprig of thyme and gently cook for 10 minutes so most of the mushroom liquor is cooked off.
3. remove the sprig of thyme
4. Add the wine, a splash of lemon juice and season to taste.
5. Cook gently until all of the liquid has gone.
6. The duxelles should stick together easily.
7. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
8. Use in your recipe, spread on bread or crackers or freeze for later use.

Duxelles, step-by-step photographs

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  The basic ingredients for duxelles

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  Shallots and garlic sautéed in butter

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  Mushrooms chopped in the food processor

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  The mushrooms look very dry when they are first added

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  Wet again once the white wine/sherry is added

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  Duxelles completed, ready to cool

Chef's notes

I never have white wine so use a little less dry sherry, watered down instead - no one has noticed yet!