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sauce essentials: versatile mushroom sauce

(1 rating)
Recipe by
Andy Anderson !
Wichita, KS

This is an excellent sauce that has some bits acquired from Cordon Bleu, and other bits from my own creative touches. It’s versatile in the fact that it can be used as a sauce over beef, pork, and/or chicken. How about ladling it over a nice plate of al dente pasta, or maybe spoon it on a big plate of mashed taters. You can even thin it out, and serve it as a mushroom soup (an excellent starter for your next soiree). So, you ready… Let’s get into the kitchen.

(1 rating)
yield 6 - 8
prep time 10 Min
cook time 25 Min
method Stove Top

Ingredients For sauce essentials: versatile mushroom sauce

  • PLAN/PURCHASE
  • THE MUSHROOM BASE
  • 2 Tbsp
    sweet butter, unsalted
  • 1 md
    onion, small dice
  • 2 clove
    garlic, minced
  • 12 oz
    mushrooms, white button, or cremini
  • 1/5 Tbsp
    sweet paprika
  • 1 tsp
    ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp
    salt, kosher variety, or to taste
  • 1/2 tsp
    black pepper, freshly ground, or to taste
  • THE ROUX AND LIQUID
  • 4 Tbsp
    sweet butter, unsalted
  • 4 Tbsp
    flour, all purpose variety
  • 1 c
    whole milk
  • 2 c
    beef stock, not broth
  • ADDITIONAL ITEMS
  • 3 tsp
    fresh dill, chopped
  • 1/2 c
    sour cream

How To Make sauce essentials: versatile mushroom sauce

  • 1
    PREP/PREPARE
  • 2
    THE MUSHROOM BASE
  • 3
    Gather Your Ingredients.
  • 4
    Stem, clean, and chop the mushrooms.
  • 5
    Chef’s Tip: Don’t chop too thinly; you want nice big pieces of tasty mushrooms for this sauce.
  • 6
    Add the butter to a sauté pan over medium heat.
  • 7
    After the butter has stopped foaming, add the onions.
  • 8
    Sauté until the onions have softened, about 5 – 7 minutes.
  • 9
    Add the garlic, and continue to sauté until fragrant, about 30 – 60 seconds.
  • 10
    Add the chopped mushrooms, and reduce the heat to medium low.
  • 11
    Slowly stir the mixture until the mushrooms begin to brown, and release their moisture, about 8 – 10 minutes.
  • 12
    Add the salt, pepper, cumin, and paprika.
  • 13
    Combine with the mixture, remove from heat, and reserve in the pan.
  • 14
    THE ROUX AND LIQUID
  • 15
    Gather your ingredients.
  • 16
    Add the butter to a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat.
  • 17
    When the foaming subsides, add the flour, and whisk to combine.
  • 18
    Continue to whisk until the mixture (roux) is a nice brown color.
  • 19
    Add the milk and stock, and whisk as the liquid comes up to a simmer.
  • 20
    Chef’s Tip: Never add a hot stock to a hot roux, or you will get lots of little lumps. The stock should be at room temperature. I usually combine the milk, and the stock in a bowl, and add them at the same time.
  • 21
    Reduce the heat to medium low, and whisk as the mixture thickens, about 2 – 4 minutes.
  • 22
    Add the reserved mushroom/onion/garlic mixture, and stir to combine.
  • 23
    Bring the pot back to a simmer, and cook for an additional 10 – 12 minutes.
  • 24
    ADDITIONAL ITEMS
  • 25
    Add the sour cream and the dill, and stir to combine.
  • 26
    Chef’s Note: These are optional items; however, they really brighten up the sauce.
  • 27
    Chef’s Note: Do a final tasting for proper seasoning.
  • 28
    Chef’s Note: When the weather turns decidedly colder, I like to add a pinch or two of cayenne.
  • 29
    PLATE/PRESENT
  • 30
    SERVING SUGGESTIONS
  • 31
    Serve over a big plate of homemade egg noodles.
  • 32
    Spoon over a nice fried pork chop, steak… or even chicken.
  • 33
    How about ladling some over a nice pile of garlic mash potatoes.
  • 34
    Thin the mixture out a bit with additional beef stock, or heavy cream and serve as mushroom soup. This makes an excellent starter for your next soiree.
  • 35
    Keep the faith, and keep cooking.

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