Mushroom Stroganoff
Submitted by amilya81
Mushroom stroganoff layers fresh mushrooms with rehydrated dried mushrooms in a sour cream sauce spiked with brandy and sherry, served over buttery egg noodles. A meatless take with serious umami.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
140 minCOOK
30 minREADY
170 minMost stroganoff recipes lean on beef for depth. This one builds it entirely from mushrooms, and the result has more umami than many meat-based versions thanks to one critical step: dried mushrooms get a long soak in hot water, then their soaking liquid gets reduced into a concentrated mushroom essence that becomes the sauce’s backbone.
Fresh button mushrooms sauté in butter with minced onion until they release their water and start to brown. Then the rehydrated mushroom strips and the reduced soaking liquid (whisked into sour cream) join the pan for a gentle 15- to 20-minute simmer. A finishing splash of brandy and sherry adds aromatic complexity that lifts the whole dish out of weeknight territory.
The sauce serves over egg noodles cooked just past al dente, the way the Russian original was always meant to be eaten.
Pro Tips
- Strain the soaking liquid through cheesecloth or a coffee filter to catch any grit from the dried mushrooms.
- Don’t crowd the fresh mushrooms in the pan; they need room to brown rather than steam.
- Whisk the warm reduced liquid gradually into the sour cream to temper it, or the cream can break when added to the hot pan.
- Keep the simmer gentle once sour cream is in. A hard boil will curdle it.
Variations
- Use a mix of dried porcini, shiitake, and morels for a more complex mushroom flavor.
- Substitute Greek yogurt for sour cream for a tangier, lighter sauce.
- Stir in 2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard with the sour cream for a sharper, more traditional Russian profile.
Ingredients
Directions
Soak the dried mushrooms in a quart of hot water for several hours.
Drain, reserving the liquid.
Wash mushrooms under running water, one by one, and trim off the hard stems.
Cut in wide strips.
Strain the liquid through cheesecloth, there should be about 2 cups.
Simmer the liquid until it is reduced by slightly more than half.
Thickly slice the fresh mushrooms.
Sauté the minced onion in butter until they are transparent, then add the sliced fresh mushrooms and toss over high heat until they have released their excess water and it is starting to evaporate.
Season with thyme, salt and pepper to taste.
Add the soaked mushroom strips and reduce the heat to medium-low.
Gradually whisk the mushroom liquid into the sour cream, and add this mixture to the mushrooms.
Simmer gently, stirring often, for 15 to 20 minutes.
Stir in the brandy and sherry.
Boil the noodles in salted water until they are just tender, but not yet soft.
Serve with stroganoff sauce, and a crisp salad.
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