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Mushroom Caviar

Mushroom Caviar

Whoever came up with the term "mushroom caviar" must have been in marketing. Mushroom caviar just sounds so much more catchy than "mushroom spread" or "minced mushrooms and shallots sautéed in butter", even though that's basically what it is. Pretty good too, especially if you love mushrooms the way we do.

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Mushroom Caviar Recipe

  • Prep time: 10 minutes
  • Cook time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3 Tbsp butter
  • 1/2 pound cremini mushrooms, wiped clean and finely chopped
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1/2 cup of minced shallots
  • 1 Tbsp dry white wine (e.g. Sauvignon Blanc)
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 2 Tbsp pine nuts
  • 2 Tbsp sour cream
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 1 Tbsp chopped parsley
  • A couple dashes of cayenne pepper, to taste

Method

1 Melt butter in a large skillet on high heat. Add the mushrooms and shallots. Sauté for 5 minutes stirring frequently.

2 While the mushrooms are cooking, heat a small skillet on high heat. Add the pine nuts. Cook, stirring frequently, until they begin to get a little toasted. (Keep your eyes on the nuts, they can burn pretty quickly.) As soon as they begin to toast, remove the pan from the heat and put the pine nuts into a small bowl. Set aside.

3 While the mushrooms are cooking, sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Once they have cooked for about 5 minutes, add the garlic and a tablespoon of dry white wine. Cook for an additional minute and remove from heat. Put mushroom mixture in a bowl, add the toasted pine nuts, and set aside to cool.

4 Once the mushrooms have cooled down a bit, mix in the lemon juice, sour cream, and parsley. Add more salt and pepper, if needed, to taste. Sprinkle on cayenne pepper, to taste. Chill before serving.

Spoon onto a large butter lettuce leaf and serve with crackers. (Use rice crackers for gluten-free option.)

Yield: Makes about 1 1/2 cups. Serves four.

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10 Comments

This is a classic french preparation called "duxelle".

It is typically used as a stuffing or garnish, but whatever floats your boat . . . shroom away!

Posted by: chef justin on June 21, 2006 6:31 AM

My love affair with the cocktail hour began as a child when my Grandmother would serve mushrooms like this that we gathered in the woods: puffballs, morels, chantrelles,oysters, pinkies. She served them with toast points, no sour cream or nuts, add green onions. Cocktails came later, but love of snacks before dinner started here. Thanks for the memory booster!

Posted by: Cary on June 21, 2006 7:23 AM

That looks so delish - I feel like everything always tastes better with butter & shallots, smothered on a cracker :)

Posted by: Banana Esq on June 22, 2006 9:44 AM

I made this one today and it's as delicious as the shrimp ceviche, fruit salad, and broccoli salad I've followed you on. Thanks for publishing these recipes and enticing photos. I'm 100% certain I wouldn't have been in the kitchen if you hadn't.

Posted by: Wendy on June 28, 2006 12:46 PM

What a great recipe! I've made it twice this week to rave reviews & requests for the recipe! :) I've blogged about it in today's entry.

Posted by: Amy Artisan on July 6, 2006 6:40 AM

Elise, I made this today and it was OUTSTANDING!!! If I could, I would blog about it, but there's none of it left, otherwise I would've taken a picture. I bought some local mushrooms at the market and was looking for a way to use them--this recipe did not disappoint. Thanks for sharing such a delicious and easy recipe!

Posted by: Tiffany on April 18, 2009 7:59 AM

Can I use regular sherry instead of dry white wine? I couldn't find dry sherry so I got a regular one.

Or can I completely skip the wine step since I don't have dry white wine?

It's only a tablespoon, you can skip it entirely. ~Elise

Posted by: Jasmine on January 25, 2010 3:41 PM

One of my good friends is a self-described mushroom fanatic- I'm sure she'll love this! I thought this actually had caviar in it and was rather grossed out by the title :P Anything with mushrooms and shallots sauteed together is divine. Unless caviar is mixed in, then I'm not so sure.

Posted by: Michelle on January 25, 2010 6:37 PM

I made this for my wine appreciation class I just finished taking at the Santa Rosa JC, you know, one of those classes that are just for fun. Our last class covered sparkling wines, and your mushroom caviar paired perfectly with the flights of champagne presented. Our instructor and I'd say all of the students in the class were bowled over and insisted on having the recipe. I wrote "Mushroom Caviar" www.simplyrecipes.com on the blackboard. I served it in a small bowl surrounded with crackers, and I only took home a few crackers, the bowl with the mushroom caviar was polished clean. I highly recommend this as a great addition to the usual cheese fare at wine/cocktail parties. I definitely will make it again. Thanks, Elise!

Great! You're welcome Mary. ~Elise

Posted by: Mary Morris on July 15, 2011 4:41 PM

Can I make this a day in advance?

Yes, easily. ~Elise

Posted by: jessica on September 26, 2011 3:23 PM

I apologize for the inconvenience, comments are closed. ~Elise

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