Croûtes aux Champignons Recipe
Swiss Mushrooms on Toast Makes a Fast and Satisfying Meal
May 20, 2009
Mushroom picking is nearly a sport in Switzerland. In May, morels grow on the slopes of the Jura and Rigi mountains and are often used in Croûtes aux Champignons. The fall is another great time to pick mushrooms in the forests of Switzerland.
If you decide to go and forage, make sure you know the varieties of wild mushrooms, as some can be poisonous to eat. Wild boars are notoriously good at finding mushrooms as well, and if you see a line in the dirt made from a boar snout, be warned that they may be nearby. These animals are extremely territorial and can attack. Bring a walking stick for protection.
Click here for more information on how to find morels in North America. Definitely use a wild mushroom guide to help you identify fungi, both poisonous and harmless.
This Croûtes aux Champignons (translated as “toast with mushrooms”) recipe serves 2 generously.
Ingredients:
- 4 slices of your bread of choice
- 1 cup sliced mushrooms, or 3 Tablespoons dried mushrooms soaked in warm water for 1 hour
- 4 Tablespoons butter
- ½ cup stock
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 1 small finely chopped onion, or 2 Tablespoons finely chopped shallots
- 3 Tablespoons thick cream
- 1 Tablespoon flour
- Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
- In a medium pan, sauté the four slices of bread in 2 Tablespoons of butter until crisp and browned. Remove the bread.
- In the same pan, fry the onion/shallots in the remaining 2 Tablespoons of butter. When they have wilted down, add the mushrooms to the pan and fry until all liquid has evaporated.
- Combine the stock and white wine in a separate bowl.
- Create a roux in the pan (or thicken) by stirring in the flour and gradually adding the stock and white wine to the mushroom-onion mixture. Bring back to a boil to thicken the sauce.
- Season to taste and stir in the cream away from the stove.
- Pour the mushroom sauce on top of the bread slices and serve immediately.
Shortcuts and Tips
- Fresh chopped parsley or lemon can be sprinkled on top, however, gourmands suggest no toppings when using scrumptious morels.
- Buy pre-sliced mushrooms to save time.
- Use a toaster to toast the bread instead of the pan to save time.
- Place a lid on top of the mushrooms while they cook to help them release their water faster.
- To save calories, use milk instead of cream.
- Gluten-free flours such as tapioca work just as well as wheat flour in this recipe.
Instead of Bread, Try Polenta
If you do not wish to use bread in the recipe, the mushroom sauce can be poured over Polenta, a warm mealy mush made from corn. Here is a quick Polenta recipe:
Ingredients:
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup corn meal
- Dash of salt
Directions:
- Bring the water, milk, and salt to a boil on the stove. Watch as this may boil over the pot as soon as it reaches the boiling point.
- Reduce the heat to a simmer. Whisk in the corn meal.
- Continue stirring until the polenta is thick like oatmeal, which only takes a few minutes. Enjoy!
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