Three Mushroom Dressing Recipes

SAVORY MUSHROOM DRESSING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Spread the bread cubes out on a baking sheet and toast in the oven until golden and crisp, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.
• Trim the dry part from the bottom of the cremini stem and quarter. Stem and quarter the shiitakes. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter with the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms, shallots, garlic, and rosemary and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften and brown, about 25 minutes. Add an additional tablespoon of butter, if needed, to prevent sticking. Carefully add the Cognac (if working over gas, pull the skillet from the heat), and simmer until the liquid is slightly syrupy. Stir in the chicken broth and salt and bring to a simmer.
• Whisk the cream, eggs, and pepper, to taste, in a large bowl. Add the bread, mushroom mixture, and parsley and toss until the bread is moistened. Transfer the dressing to a buttered 1 1/2-quart baking dish. Bake, uncovered, until the dressing sets and the top browns, about 1 hour. Let dressing sit for 15 minutes before serving.

THREE MUSHROOM SAUTE

Steps:

• In a skillet set over moderate heat cook the scallion in the oil, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until softened. Add the mushrooms and salt and pepper to taste and cook them, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and toss 1 minute. Add the wine and reduce by half. Add the broth and tomato paste and simmer 3 minutes, stirring. Add the cream and simmer until lightly thickened. Stir in the herbs. Serve the saute over baked or grilled polenta or as a sauce for pasta.

THREE-MUSHROOM DRESSING WITH PROSCIUTTO

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread bread cubes in single layer on large rimmed baking sheet. Bake until lightly browned and slightly crisp, about 18 minutes. Cool.
• Combine porcini mushrooms and 2 cups boiling water in medium bowl; let stand until mushrooms are soft, about 30 minutes. Strain, reserving soaking liquid. Chop mushrooms.
• Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add prosciutto and cook until crisp, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. Transfer to paper towels. Melt butter in same skillet over medium-high heat. Add button mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, and onion to skillet and sauté until soft and brown, about 10 minutes. Add garlic, rosemary, and porcini mushrooms. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add wine and boil until almost all liquid evaporates, about 4 minutes. Transfer to bowl.
• DO AHEAD: Bread cubes, mushroom soaking liquid, prosciutto, and mushroom mixture can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and store bread cubes at room temperature. Cover mushroom soaking liquid, prosciutto, and mushroom mixture separately and chill.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously butter 13x9x2-inch baking dish. Combine bread cubes, 1/2 cup prosciutto, mushroom mixture, and 3/4 cup green onions in large bowl; toss to distribute evenly. Add eggs; toss to coat. Pour mushroom soaking liquid into 2-cup measuring cup. Add enough chicken broth to soaking liquid to measure 2 cups. Add broth mixture to bread mixture; toss to coat (mixture will be moist).
• Transfer dressing to prepared dish. Bake uncovered until top is slightly crisp, about 30 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining prosciutto and green onions.
• *Available in the produce section of many supermarkets and at specialty foods stores and Italian markets.

MUSHROOM STUFFING

Steps:

• In a large skillet, cook bacon until crisp; remove with a slotted spoon to paper towel. Drain, reserving 2 tablespoons of drippings. , Saute celery and onion in drippings until tender. Add mushrooms, sage, salt and pepper; cook and stir for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in the stuffing, celery leaves, parsley and bacon. Combine eggs and broth. Stir into stuffing mixture., Spread in a greased 13x9-in. baking dish (dish will be full). Dot with butter. Cover and bake at 350° for 30 minutes and stuffing temperature reaches 165°. Uncover and bake 10 minutes longer or until lightly browned.

TRIPLE MUSHROOM DRESSING

Steps:

• Rinse porcini mushrooms and place in a small bowl with 2 cups hot water. Soak until soft, about 20 minutes. Rub porcini to remove any grit; lift out and squeeze liquid into soaking water. Coarsely chop porcini; reserve soaking liquid.
• Place hazelnuts in a 9-inch pie pan and bake in a 350 degree F (180 degrees C)regular or convection oven, shaking pan occasionally, until nuts are golden under skins, 10 to 15 minutes. Pour into a clean towel and rub to remove as much skin as possible. Lift nuts from towel, leaving skins behind; coarsely chop nuts.
• Place half the bread in each of two 12- by 17-inch baking pans. Bake in a 350 degree F (180 degrees C) regular or convection oven, stirring once, until lightly browned, 12 to 15 minutes. Pour into a large bowl.
• Trim off and discard dark green tops and root ends from leeks. Cut white stalk in half lengthwise and rinse well, flipping layers to release grit. Coarsely chop. Rinse cremini and shiitake mushrooms; cut off and discard shiitake stems. Thinly slice both types of mushrooms.
• In a 5- to 6-quart pan over medium-high heat, melt butter. Add shallots, leeks, and cremini and shiitake mushrooms; stir often until mushrooms begin to brown, about 15 minutes. Mix porcini, nuts, celery, parsley, thyme, and sage into mushroom mixture. Stir into bread and add salt and pepper to taste. In a small bowl, beat together eggs, 1/2 cup of the reserved porcini mushroom-soaking liquid (pour in carefully, leaving grit behind), and 1/2 cup chicken broth. Pour over bread mixture and mix well. If you prefer a moister texture, add up to 1/2 cup more porcini mushroom-soaking liquid or broth. Pour into a shallow 3- to 3 1/2-quart baking dish. Cover with a buttered sheet of foil.
• Bake dressing in a 325 degree F (165 degrees C) regular or convection oven until hot in the center, 45 minutes to 1 hour; uncover and bake until top is golden, 10 to 20 minutes longer.