‘Wine Style’ Marinated Mushrooms
We’re always looking for bites to have with a glass of wine before dinner, and the first time we made this one — from Kate Leahy’s 2021 cookbook Wine Style — we made it twice more in a matter of days. In her headnote, Leahy mentions that the technique, which is nearly effortless, was inspired by the clay-pot cooking Andrea Nguyen presented in her 2019 book Vietnamese Food Any Day. Basically you just plop the ‘shrooms in a pot, drizzle on a little olive oil, cover, heat, and let the mushrooms do their thing, releasing their water as they cook. (You drop in some garlic and thyme partway through.) Twelve minutes later or so, stir in balsamic vinegar, season and you’ve got snacks — delicious ones, with marvelous texture, that go great with red wine. Leahy suggests a Nebbiolo or a Rioja.
[Read: Kate Leahy’s ‘Wine Style’ is a delicious solo debut from a seasoned (and fascinating) cookbook pro]
[Read: “Thanksgiving finger foods: 10 recipes for light and lovely pre-feast nibbles”]
Note: The mushrooms shrink as they release their water, so you only need to halve them if they’re pretty big.
Makes about 1 cup.
Ingredients
10 to 12 ounces cremini or button mushrooms
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1⁄4 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, smashed
3 sprigs thyme or oregano, plus additional for garnish (if desired)
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
Flaky sea salt
Instructions
1. Wash the mushrooms well, then trim off the stem ends (leave the stems in place unless they look a bit withered). If any of the mushrooms are much larger than others, halve them through the stem end.
2. In a medium heavy saucepan or small Dutch oven, add the mushrooms. Drizzle the oil over the top, then cover, set over medium heat and cook without stirring 2 to 3 minutes; you’ll hear them sizzling. Uncover, season with the salt and pepper, and give the mushrooms a stir. Put the garlic and thyme on top, then cover, lower the heat to low, and let the mushrooms gently steam without stirring for 12 minutes.
3. Uncover and check the texture of the mushrooms. If they are still firm and there isn’t much liquid in the pot, cover and continue to cook for 3 minutes more, then check again. If the mushrooms are soft, leave them uncovered, increase the heat, and simmer until most of the water has evaporated, a minute or two. Remove from the heat and stir in the vinegar. Transfer the mushrooms to a bowl and let cool to room temperature. At this point, the mushrooms can be served, or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Serve at room temperature topped with pinches of flaky sea salt and more pepper, plus a sprig or two of fresh thyme or oregano, if desired.
'Wine Style' Marinated Mushrooms
Ingredients
- 10 to 12 ounces cremini or button mushrooms
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1⁄4 teaspoon kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 garlic cloves, smashed
- 3 sprigs thyme or oregano, plus additional for garnish (if desired)
- 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
- Flaky sea salt
Instructions
- Wash the mushrooms well, then trim off the stem ends (leave the stems in place unless they look a bit withered). If any of the mushrooms are much larger than others, halve them through the stem end.
- In a medium heavy saucepan or small Dutch oven, add the mushrooms. Drizzle the oil over the top, then cover, set over medium heat and cook without stirring until you hear about 2 to 3 minutes; you'll hear them sizzling. Uncover, season with the salt and pepper, and give the mushrooms a stir. Put the garlic and thyme on top, then cover, lower the heat to low, and let the mushrooms gently steam without stirring for 12 minutes.
- Uncover and check the texture of the mushrooms. If they are still firm and there isn’t much liquid in the pot, cover and continue to cook for 3 minutes more, then check again. If the mushrooms are soft, leave them uncovered, increase the heat, and simmer until most of the water has evaporated, a minute or two. Remove from the heat and stir in the vinegar. Transfer the mushrooms to a bowl and let cool to room temperature. At this point, the mushrooms can be served, or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Serve at room temperature topped with pinches of flaky sea salt and more pepper, plus a sprig or two of fresh thyme or oregano, if desired.
