Braised Shrooms + Onions

Braise = v. [origin, French] to cook slowly in little moisture in a closed pot.

I don’t know about most of you, but braising has turned into a new personal fad.  I love it.  Get the onions and such browning, at a bit of liquid, put the top of the pot and come back after trucking through a few chem equations to a luxuriously cooked meal.  The terms sound “scary”, or like a technique reserved for chefs in restaurants where you pay $35 for a little piece of braised rabbit.  But, I would not judge the little verb until you try it.  The French seriously know what they are doing when it comes to preparing food!  (Julia Child’s cookbook has it spelled out in the title: the ART of French cooking).

So, in the spirit of braised meat, I went for the closest vegetarian alternative—that also seemed Frenchy—mushrooms. Add some peas or puey lentils and it’s a filling meal. Dad, this recipe is for you, my French cuisine connoisseur.

Ingredients:

1 cup crimini mushrooms, sliced

½ cup shitake mushrooms, sliced or whole depending on size

½ tbsp. olive oil

½ onion, half-moon slices

1 clove garlic, minced

¼ tsp sea salt

1 tbsp shoyu

1 tbsp white wine vinegar

Italian parsley, coarsely chopped for extra flavor

Directions:

Set the crockpot on HIGH for a good 15-20min to warm up like a skillet.

Meanwhile prepare the mushrooms, onion and garlic for braising.  When the crock-pot is hot, add the olive oil to the pot and swirl about.  Allow to warm for a minute before dumping in the chopped shrooms and vegtables.  Let the whole mixture SIT for about 5 minutes.  This will allow the onions to sum-what caramelize within the crock-pot’s capabilities.  Stir and sit. Stir and sit. Repeat this process for about 15 minutes before adding the shoyu, vinegar and parsley. 

Cover the crockpot and set to LOW.  This is where the “braising” part takes place.

Allow the mixture to braise untouched for at least 20-30minutes.  I went and took a shower during this period to keep me from being distracted by the smell.

It is ready to serve when the entire mixture is about 1/3 of its initial volume. That may seem hard to believe, but mushrooms and onions emit a freaking about of liquid when cooked.

To make this recipe extra Frenchy, reserve the braising liquid to make a sauce.  Pull out the shrooms + onions and add a touch more olive oil plus some flour to the mixture.  Turn the crock-pot back up on HIGH and whisk like a mad man to keep the flour from clumping.  Within a few minutes a viscous gravy should form.  Pour this on top of your shrooms and you have a meal straight out of Northern France.

Bon Appetite, mon amis.

Cheers, kaite ;]