Over the past few weeks, we ordered at restaurants on two occasions, mushrooms with brie. One was very good the other disappointing. As a result, I thought I could find a recipe that was just as good, if not better. I found this recipe and using it as a base to start with, I used what I had on hand. It turned out better than what we had in a restaurant. I made it for two of us as an appetizer, with one kind of mushroom, white wine, shallots, butter and thyme and of course brie. No baguette but good with 32 Degree natural crackers.
YIELD
Makes 6 to 8 servings
INGREDIENTS
· 1/2
ounce dried porcini mushrooms*
· 2/3
cup dry red wine
· 2
tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
· 6
ounces crimini (baby bella) mushrooms, halved or quartered if large
· 6
ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, sliced
· 2
tablespoons minced shallot (about 1 large)
· 2
teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
· 1
13- to 14-ounce Brie (about 5 inches in diameter; preferably in wooden box)
· 1
baguette, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
PREPARATION
1.
Rinse dried porcini to
remove any grit. Place porcini and wine in small saucepan. Bring to simmer over
low heat; remove from heat. Let soak until soft, about 20 minutes. Using
slotted spoon, transfer porcini to work surface and coarsely chop. Line strainer
with damp paper towel; strain wine into small bowl and reserve.
2.
Melt butter in heavy
large skillet over medium-high heat. Add crimini and shiitakes. Sprinkle with
salt and pepper and cook until brown, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes.
Add shallot and stir until soft, about 1 minute. Add chopped porcini and
strained wine. Boil until almost dry, about 1 minute. Stir in thyme. Season to
taste with salt and pepper. Cool.
3.
Remove Brie from box,
discarding lid and paper. Using sharp knife, cut top rind from Brie; discard.
Return Brie to box. (Alternatively, stack two 12-inch rounds of foil and fold
up around bottom and sides of Brie, crimping foil at edges, leaving top
exposed.) Mound mushroom mixture atop Brie. DO AHEAD: Can be made 8 hours ahead. Cover and chill. Bring
to room temperature before continuing.
4.
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Place Brie with mushrooms on rimmed baking sheet. Bake until cheese begins to
melt and mushrooms are warmed through, about 15 minutes. Transfer Brie in box
to plate. Serve hot with baguette slices.
5.
*Available in the produce section of many supermarkets and at
specialty foods stores and Italian markets.
Test-kitchen
tip:To cut the top off the round of Brie more easily, first place the cheese in
the freezer for a few minutes to firm it up slightly.
