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Mushrooms have been popular on our dinner table and in restaurants over the past few years and this trend shows no signs of slowing down.

In addition to СÀ¶ÊÓƵ tasty, mushrooms are hearty and flavourful.

Specialty mushrooms, such as shiitakes, oysters, enoki, morels and chanterelles, are now often found in regular grocery stores.

Choose mushrooms with a fresh, smooth appearance. Button mushrooms are mild. For more flavour select mushrooms with exposed gills. Clean mushrooms by wiping with a damp cloth or rinse quickly under water and dry. If the stems are tough, trim them. Shiitake stems are always tough so they need to be removed.

Store mushrooms in original packaging or in a porous paper bag for prolonged shelf life. Some mushrooms may keep for up to one week in the refrigerator.

Fresh mushrooms should never be frozen, but frozen sautéed mushrooms will keep for up to one month.

Sausage Stuffed Mushroom Caps

• 24 large button or cremini mushrooms, stems removed and set aside
• 3 tbsp. butter, divided 45 mL
• 1/2 c. onion, finely diced 125 mL
• 1 tsp. fresh garlic, minced 5 mL
• 8 oz. mild Italian sausage, casings removed 250 g
• 4 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 c. parmesan cheese, grated 60 mL
• 1/2 c. monterey jack cheese, shredded 125 mL
• 1/4 c. chopped parsley, divided 60 mL
• 1/3 c. panko breadcrumbs 75 mL
• cooking spray

Preheat the oven to 375 F (190 C). Coat a sheet pan with cooking spray and arrange the mushroom caps on the pan. Roughly chop the trimmed mushroom stems and set aside.

Melt one tablespoon (15 mL) of butter in a pan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook for three to four minutes or until softened. Remove the onion mixture from the pan.

Add the sausage and chopped mushroom stems to the pan and cook for five to six minutes, using a spatula to break up the meat into smaller pieces. Drain excess fat and liquid.

Place the sausage, onion mixture, cream cheese, parmesan cheese, monterey jack cheese and three tablespoons (45 mL) of parsley in a bowl. Stir to combine.

Spoon the sausage mixture evenly into the mushroom caps.

Melt the remaining two tablespoons (30 mL) of butter and stir in the panko breadcrumbs to coat.

Sprinkle the panko over the mushrooms.

Bake for 20 minutes or until tops are browned and mushrooms are cooked through. Garnish with parsley and serve.

Mushroom Gravy

• 3 tbsp. olive oil, divided 45 mL
• 1 lb. sliced button or cremini mushrooms 500 g
• 1/4 c. finely chopped shallot 60 mL
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1/4 tsp. salt 1 mL
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper 2 mL
• 1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves 2 mL
• 2 tbsp. butter 30 mL
• 1/4 c. flour 60 mL
• 3 c. beef stock 750 mL
• 1 tbsp. soy sauce 15 mL

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, then the mushrooms. Spread them in an even layer and let cook, undisturbed, for four minutes. Add the onion, garlic, salt, ground black pepper and thyme and stir to combine. Cook two more minutes.

Reduce the heat to medium. Add the butter to the skillet. Once melted, sprinkle the flour evenly over top of the mushrooms. Stir until the flour mixture is lightly toasted, about one minute.

Add the stock and soy sauce. Scrape the bottom of the skillet to remove all the brown bits and stir until smooth. Increase the heat to medium-high to return to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium and let the gravy simmer for five minutes.

Remove from the heat.

If you like a creamy gravy, stir in two tablespoons (30 mL) of heavy cream. Makes four cups (1 L) of gravy.

Mushrooms with Mornay Sauce

Make a batch from the simple sauteed mushrooms recipe using a mix of wild and cultivated mushrooms. Serve in individual dishes or family style with the sauce on the bottom and top with the mushrooms. Serve with oven toasted ciabatta or baguette.

Sauce:

• 4 tbsp. butter (not margarine or a blend), divided 60 mL
• 1/3 c. all-purpose flour 75 mL
• 3 c. whole milk, warm but not hot, divided 750 mL
• 2-3 whole cloves
• 1/4 medium onion, peeled
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 oz. grated gruyere cheese 55 g
• 2 oz. grated parmesan cheese 55 g
• one recipe of simple sauteed mushrooms using mixed wild and cultivated

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt three tablespoons (45 mL) of the butter over medium-low heat.

Stir in flour to form a roux. Cook for two to three minutes, stirring frequently, until most of the water has cooked out, which also allows the raw flour taste to cook off.

Slowly add 2 1/2 cups (625 mL) of the warm milk while whisking or stirring constantly so that the liquid is incorporated into the roux without forming lumps.

Stick the cloves into the onion and add to the sauce along with the bay leaf. Simmer for about 10 minutes, or until it’s reduced by about 20 percent.

Remove the bay leaf and the onion and strain the sauce through a fine-mesh strainer or a colander lined with cheesecloth.

Return the sauce to the pan. Add the gruyere and parmesan cheeses and stir until they have melted.

Remove from heat, stir in the remaining one tablespoon (15 mL) butter, and adjust the consistency with some or all of the remaining 1/2 cup (125 mL) milk, if necessary.

Pour sauce into dishes and serve the mushrooms on top.

Mornay can be kept in the fridge in an airtight container for four to five days and will freeze for up to three months.

Gently reheat this on the stovetop, using a double boiler. It may appear grainy or separated. Simply whisk to combine the ingredients. If it’s too thick, add a little milk or stock to thin it out. When it looks thick and glossy, it’s ready to use.

Simple Sautéed Mushrooms

Use any mushroom you wish. Button and cremini are perfect with barbecued steaks. Mushrooms prepared this way are also great tossed with pasta. To make it creamy, add a splash of cream at the end of sauteing.

• 1 lb. mushrooms: cremini, button, shiitake, portobellos, chanterelles, morels, porcini, oyster 500 g
• 1-2 tbsp. butter 15-30 mL
• 1-2 tbsp. olive oil 15-30 mL
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 shallot, finely diced
• 2-3 garlic cloves, rough chopped
• 1 tbsp. fresh thyme, sage or rosemary or 1 tsp./5 mL dried herbs 15 mL
• optional: splash of white wine, red wine, marsala wine, sherry, ruby port optional: truffle oil, soy sauce, fresh flat-leaf parsley

Clean mushrooms. Pat dry and allow to fully dry. Key is to start with dry mushrooms.

If the mushrooms are larger, cut them into a similar size, roughly 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) thick. Small mushrooms can be left whole.

Heat oil and butter in a large sauté pan or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Sauté until just beginning to brown, about five minutes.

Lower heat to medium or medium-low. Add shallots, garlic and thyme, continue sauteing until fragrant and mushrooms release their liquid and cook this off, another five to seven minutes.

Add a splash of wine if you like, to deglaze the pan. Cook this off.

Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Add a few drops of truffle oil to elevate ordinary mushrooms, or a few drops of soy sauce if seeking deeper umami flavours. The key is to use a light hand. For brightness, a little fresh parsley is nice.

Sauteed mushrooms will last four days in the fridge and can be reheated. Add a splash of water if necessary.

Sarah Galvin is a home economist, teacher and avid supporter of local food producers. She has been a market vendor, grew up on a farm in southeastern Saskatchewan and is a member of TEAM Resources.