Mushrooms on Toast

I learned this trick from a mushroom grower: try dry-sauteeing the mushrooms first. Just the mushrooms themselves, nothing else, in a hot pan, turning frequently, until they are slightly brown and have soaked up all their juices. Then add the butter and proceed with the recipe. They taste more mushroom-y when started this way.

When I make this, I begin with some thinly sliced shallots, before adding shrooms, and no garlic later.

Also, when mushrooms are cooked and on the toast, I add a small amout of olive oil to the pan, and quickly toss some frisee or other bitter greens to warm and wilt just slightly. I serve the greens drizzled with a tiny amount of excellent balsamic vinegar, nestled next to the the open-faced sandwich.

Devine combination.

Good, hearty bread is essential. Instead of crème fraîche I spread chevre on the toast and put the mushroom mix on top. Besides a delicious combination of flavors and textures, the chevre helps hold the mushrooms in place. This is our winter bruschetta.

A fine quality soy sauce is a good alternative to the sherry. As others have observed, the combo of butter and soy in the right proportions is magical.

Judith, if you want to cook mushrooms in a pan without them going "watery dead grey", you need to cook them in a very hot pan, having added a splash of oil to the butter to prevent the butter from burning. The very high heat helps the mushrooms to shed their moisture quickly and enables the golden effect you're looking for. Hope this helps :)

Thank you for all of the "variations" on this recipe although I intend to follow the recipe the first time I make it. I love mushrooms cooked this way.
On another note, was it really necessary to correct the person who wrote "devine" instead of "divine"? A bit pedantic for this forum.

David Tanis never lets me down; I love David Tanis, and this recipe is so typical of his comfortingly familiar repertoire, relaxed yet refined. Wonderfully simple and luscious to make on an overcast spring weeknight, and hit the spot without being bloatingly filling and complicated. I used to make a version of this years ago and fill omelettes with it. Highly recommended, and don't skip the sherry.

I mix a bit of finely grated Gruyère into the hot mix just before topping the toast. I usually skip the crème frâiche unless I happen to have it on hand. A perfect little dinner.

This is identical to the way I do mushrooms on toast and it is so good! One note: Don't skip the booze, it really adds great dimension. Besides sherry or marsala, I've had good results with port and vermouth.

And (as given in the recipe) don't salt the mushrooms before they brown, or you draw out too much water and end up steaming them.

If your mushrooms are grey and liquidy, you haven't been patient enough. Simply leave them a while longer, and yes a medium hot pan helps, and the buttery liquid reduces and the mushrooms brown perfectly just as in the photos. I usually sprinkle Worchestershire over mine too. This is a standard "side" for a good steak.

An old standby around here; definitely great to include shallots, if you have them, & some greens or mild onions. I make a big batch (when we get chanterelles!) & keep in fridge. Spoon onto a thick piece of bread in the morning, lay a slice of provolone on top, & broil in toaster oven for a quick & delicious 'breakfast pizza' (credit: th' grandkids)!

1. Not really a danger given how much liquid the mushrooms expel. 2. Cooking the mushrooms without butter -- in a "dry" pan, though the pan won't be dry for long with the liquid given off by the mushrooms -- and then stirring in as much or as little butter as you'd like after the pan has dried out and they've begun to color is my preferred method for flavor as well as for customizability.

I just made this for the second time and did the dry sauté as suggested by Caroliboli. Both were delicious but the dry sauté was far better, they do indeed taste more mushroomy!

Use cast iron. Pour Yorkshire Pudding batter on the cooked mushrooms, awesome!