Original recipe from Smitten Kitchen
INGREDIENTS:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter, softened
2 pounds portobello mushrooms, in 1/4-inch slices (save the stems for another use) (we used cremini instead)
1/2 carrot, finely diced (we like to add more carrot, like 1-2)
1 small yellow onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup full-bodied red wine
2 cups beef or vegetable broth (beef broth is traditional but vegetable to make it vegetarian; it works with either. Obviously we went vegetarian)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (1/2 teaspoon dried but fresh is best)
1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup pearl onions, peeled
Egg noodles, for serving
Sour cream (we prefer plain Greek yogurt) and chopped chives or parsley, for garnish (optional if you like it to look like trash, mandatory if you are trying to create ART)
This dish changed our minds about mushrooms. In the beginning, we diced the mushroom pieces finely, added more carrot, and tried to pretend we were eating something else. Over time we embraced bigger chunks and realized we might just be mushroom people after all! The rich, savory flavors of this dish are perfect for a cold Midwestern night and you will wish you doubled the recipe so you had leftovers for days. Let's get cookin'!
STEPS
Heat one tablespoon of the olive oil and one tablespoon of butter in a medium Dutch oven or heavy sauce pan over high heat. We love to get more use out of the Dutch Oven but damn is she heavy. Sear the mushrooms until they begin to darken, but not yet release any liquid — about three or four minutes. Remove them from pan.
Lower the flame to medium and add the second tablespoon of olive oil. Toss the carrots, onions, thyme, a few good pinches of salt and several grinds of black pepper into the pan and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for just one more minute. This is going to make your entire house smell amazing to the point you want to climb in the pot and marinate with those veggies.
Add the wine to the pot (we know you hate "wasting" good wine but sometimes you gotta pour a lil out for the homies, and trust us this wine now has a higher purpose. Pour a little more in your glass and keep it movin') Scrape any bits off the bottom that were stuck, then crank the heat up to eleven and reduce it by half.
Stir in the tomato paste and the broth. Add the pearl onions. Next, toss in the mushrooms with any juices that have collected and bring it to a boil, reduce the temperature so it simmers for 20-25 minutes, or until mushrooms and onions are very tender.
Combine remaining butter and the flour with a fork until combined; stir it into the stew. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 more minutes. If the sauce is too thin, boil it down to reduce to the right consistency. Season to taste.
To serve, spoon the stew over a bowl of egg noodles, dollop with Greek yogurt (optional, but not really) and sprinkle with chives or parsley.