Super Creamy Mushroom Sauce Recipe That Will Blow You Away

Mushrooms are probably my favourite vegetable, but like many of us, I never know what to make with them. However, you can never go wrong with a creamy mushroom sauce.

That being said, the way I make my mushroom sauce deviates slightly from “traditional” mushroom sauce recipes.

Why deviate from tradition? Because with just a few extra ingredients, you can take the mushroom sauce from halfway decent to “blimey, that’s good!”

I also throw in a few umami-rich ingredients, like anchovies and porcini mushrooms, to take this to the next level.

Creamy mushroom sauce recipe

Ingredients

Serves: 2

• 1/2 large white onion (shallots would also work)
• 3 garlic cloves
• 300g white button mushrooms (chestnut or portobello would also be fine)
• 1 tbsp clarified butter or vegetable oil
• 1 anchovy
• 1 tsp yeast extract (such as Marmite or Vegemite)
• 1/2 tsp soy sauce
• 80ml white wine
• 150ml vegetable stock, mushroom stock or water
• 5g porcini mushrooms (optional)
• 180ml double cream
• 1/2 lemon/lime juice
• A small sprig of fresh thyme and a small sprig of fresh rosemary, or a pinch of dried thyme and rosemary
• Salt
• Black pepper

Directions

1. Dice the onion, peel and finely slice the garlic cloves.
2. Slice the mushrooms with the stems still attached. (Mushrooms are about 90% water, so they shrink a lot during cooking. If you prefer larger pieces of mushroom in the sauce, you can cut them into thicker slices, but keep in mind they will take longer to cook).
3. Heat a cast iron or stainless steel pan over medium-high heat. Add the butter or oil. )Clarified butter is a great choice because it has a high smoke point and won’t burn easily. Vegetable oil also has a high smoke point. Regular butter or olive oil can be used, but they may burn more easily, so keep an eye on the pan).
4. Once the butter has melted, add the onion and garlic. Stir continuously until you can smell the garlic and the onions have taken on a bit of brown colour. Then, turn the heat up to medium-high and add the mushrooms. Put in all the mushrooms because they will shrink significantly due to their high water content. Stir the mushrooms occasionally to ensure they make contact with the pan. Cook for about 10 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, prepare an umami paste. Umami is considered the “fifth taste”, often described as savoury. It adds a delicious flavour to dishes. Mushrooms are naturally high in glutamate, which contributes to umami taste. However, to enhance the umami further, create a paste the anchovy, Marmite (yeast extract), and soy sauce. (These ingredients provide inosinates and guanylates, which amplify the umami flavour).
6. After making the umami paste, cook the mushrooms until they have lost most of their moisture content and have started to brown. This browning process requires sautéing the mushrooms until the water has evaporated, allowing them to fry and develop a rich flavour. As the mushrooms brown, they will leave a fond (brown stuff) on the bottom of the pan. Do not waste this flavourful fond.
7. Deglaze the pan by pouring in the white wine and scrape the fond off the bottom of the pan. Keep scraping until all the fond is removed and incorporated into the wine. Once deglazed, cook for another minute or two to cook out the alcohol from the wine.
8. Now, add the umami paste to the pan and let it cook for about 30 seconds. Then, add the vegetable or mushroom stock (or water) to start forming a sauce. Simmer the sauce for a minute or two, allowing the flavours to meld.
9. For an extra burst of mushroom flavour, add a handful of dried porcini mushrooms to the sauce. Dried mushrooms have a more intense mushroom taste compared to fresh ones. Additionally, add herbs of your choice. Thyme and parsley are traditional choices, but feel free to use whatever herbs you have on hand—fresh or dried. Simmer for another minute or two.
10. Next, pour in the double cream. The thicker the cream, the better the sauce will turn out. Mix everything together and simmer the sauce to reduce it. Simmering to reduce means maintaining a heat level just below a boil, allowing some of the water to evaporate and resulting in a thicker and creamier sauce.
11. Once the sauce reaches the desired consistency, taste and adjust the salt and pepper to your liking. Squeeze in some lemon juice for a bright and tangy flavour. The sauce is now ready to be served.