Mushroom sauce recipe

This creamy mushroom sauce uses readily available ingredients and comes together in a few steps. Serve it with dumplings, pasta or meat.

Ingredients

500 g button mushrooms
1 onion
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon oil
200 ml stock
150 ml cooking cream, 18% fat
1 teaspoon wheat flour
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons parsley

Method

Clean and slice the mushrooms. Finely chop the onion.
Heat the butter and oil in a frying pan and cook the onion until translucent. Add the mushrooms and cook until their liquid evaporates and they begin to brown.
Add the stock and simmer for 5 minutes. In a bowl, mix the cream and flour with a few spoonfuls of warm cooking liquid.
Pour the mixture into the pan, stirring, and simmer for a few minutes until slightly thickened.
Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with parsley. Serve with dumplings, pasta or meat.

Time and servings

About 30 minutes. Serves 4.

Tips and variations

Use a wide pan to help the liquid evaporate.
Mix the flour thoroughly into the cold cream before adding warm liquid.
If the sauce is too thick, thin it with a little stock.

Preparing the mushrooms

Clean the mushrooms with a damp towel or rinse them quickly and dry thoroughly. Slice them to a similar thickness; smaller ones can be quartered. Finely chop the onion so it softens in a similar time. Have the stock, cream and seasoning ready before heating the pan so you can watch the cooking and add the liquid at the right time.

Making the sauce

The mushrooms will first release water, then begin to brown. Give the liquid time to evaporate, stirring occasionally. There is no need to cook the mushrooms until dark. Once the stock is added, scrape the flavourful bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spatula. Pour in the cream and flour mixture slowly, stirring to prevent lumps. Check the consistency after a few minutes of gentle simmering.

Serving ideas

Serve the sauce with Silesian dumplings, gnocchi, grains or pasta. It also goes with roast meat or potato pancakes. Prepare the accompaniment before the sauce is ready and combine them on the plate. Add fresh parsley at the end to preserve its colour. For a more noticeable mushroom flavour and texture, leave some pieces larger instead of chopping them all finely.

Storage and reheating

Cool leftover sauce, transfer it to a sealed container and refrigerate. Reheat slowly, stirring, and add a little water or stock if it has thickened. Taste and adjust the seasoning after reheating. Store the sauce separately from dumplings and pasta, which can absorb the liquid. Sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley before serving if you like.

More cooking tips

Choose a wide pan so the mushrooms are not piled too thickly. If the pan is small, cook them in batches and combine before adding the stock. After adding the cream and flour, stir until the sauce comes to a simmer so it thickens evenly. Adjust the consistency to suit the accompaniment: it can be thinner for pasta and thicker for dumplings. Taste before adding salt, especially if the stock is already seasoned.

Adjusting the consistency

Check the thickness a few minutes after adding the cream and flour. For pasta, leave a little more liquid so the sauce coats the strands without being too heavy. For dumplings, simmer it a little longer. If it becomes too thick, stir in warm stock a little at a time. Do not sprinkle dry flour straight into the pan, as the resulting lumps are difficult to remove.

Changing the flavour

Cut some mushrooms thickly and others finely. The larger pieces will remain distinct while the smaller ones distribute their flavour through the sauce. For a smoother texture, blend a small portion after cooking and return it to the pan. Add parsley only after cooking. Taste before adding salt, particularly if the stock is salty.