Julia, Julie & I – The Joy of Cooking Rediscovered

Toast aux Champignons (Mushrooms on Toast)

Sometimes the simplest dishes are the best.  One of the simplest I know is toast aux champignons.  Having these as an appetizer on my first trip to Europe made me an instant convert to mushrooms, and my limited French quickly came to include, “Toast aux champignons, s’il vous plait.”

My first dinner party after George and I were married was entertaining his parents in our tiny downtown Chicago temporary apartment.  I had about eighteen inches of prep space in the kitchen, so toast on champignons seemed an ideal starter.  I went on to serve Julia’s crab quiche as the main course, and in looking back, there seem to have been a lot of carbohydrates on my menu, but no one complained.

It’s been many years since I’ve had toast aux champignons, and in North America the closest I’ve come is a steak sandwich with mushrooms.  However, this week on a rerun of a Jamie Oliver program,  Jamie was making mushroom dishes for vegetarian friends, and tonight on Chuck’s Day Off, Chuck was preparing a version of mushrooms on toast (but in sandwich form).   It seemed time for a mushroom recipe.  This is a versatile dish that can be served as part of a brunch, a light lunch with a salad, or the first course of an elegant dinner.

Toast aux Champignons

Serves:4

Ingredients:

• 1 pound mixed wild or field mushrooms, sliced
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 tbsp flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 4 slices sourdough bread (or any firm-textured white bread), toasted

Directions:

1. Toss the mushrooms with a little lemon juice.
2. Put the butter and oil in a  frying pan over a medium heat and cook the onion for a minute.
3. Cook the mushrooms until soft and golden; make sure any liquid released evaporates.
4. Season to taste, then stir in the cream and remaining lemon juice and warm through.
5. Toast the bread
6. Sprinkle with parsley and serve at once, on hot toast.

Nancy