There are lots of cooks out there who actually know what they are doing. I pretty much taught myself to cook, out of necessity. I haven’t a clue most of the time, but I do love to eat. For a simple, quick breakfast it is hard to beat mushrooms on toast. In the spring I use morels, in the fall, chanterelles. Other mushrooms can be substituted.
Ingredients
- toast
- fresh mushrooms – whatever is in season
- onion or shallots
- minced garlic (optional)
- bacon (optional – no, wait…)
- butter
- red wine or apple cider or cider vinegar
- salt & pepper to taste
- tarragon or fresh grated nutmeg (optional)
- minced garlic(optional)
- grated pecorino (optional)
If your mushrooms are full of water, dry sauté them until the liquor leaves them and is reduced. Remove and set aside mushrooms and fry your bacon. This recipe can be made without bacon, but why would you do that? When bacon is done, remove it but reserve the bacon grease to cook your mushrooms in.
Return your mushrooms to the skillet. Add butter as needed. Add diced onion and cook until mushrooms are soft and onions begin to become translucent.
Splash in a little wine or cider and reduce- for chanterelles I prefer unfiltered apple cider.
After the liquid has reduced, salt and pepper to taste. For morels I like to add tarragon and perhaps a little garlic toward the end of cooking.
If you want gravy, add a little more butter and stir in a couple tablespoons of flour, cooking until it starts to brown. For morels you could add a splash of milk to the gravy; chanterelles perhaps a little apple cider.
Lay your bacon on the toast and spoon mushroom mixture over the top. A dusting of grated pecorino will compliment the flavor of morels, while fresh grated nutmeg or ginger is lovely on chanterelles.
