Rahmchampignons, German Creamy Mushrooms with Parsley
Rahmchampignons, mushrooms in a creamy sauce, is German comfort food that usually arrives swimming in butter, flour, and cream. The flavor that matters comes from none of those. It comes from browning the mushrooms hard in a dry pan until their water cooks off and their cut faces caramelize, the single step most cooks skip. From there, oat cream stands in for the dairy and thickens the sauce on its own, marjoram and nutmeg supply the German seasoning, and a splash of vinegar keeps it from turning heavy. Spoon it over boiled potatoes or a whole grain and it becomes a meal; serve it smaller as a side.
Ingredients
- 1 lb Cremini mushrooms, thickly sliced
- 2 wholes Shallots, minced
- 2 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp Dried marjoram
- 1 tsp no-salt vegetable bouillon
- 3/4 cup Oat cream
- 1/4 tsp Nutmeg, freshly grated
- 1 tsp White wine vinegar
- 1/2 tsp Black peppercorns, freshly ground
- 3 tbsp Flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Method
- Heat a wide, dry skillet over medium-high and add the mushrooms in a single layer. Let them sit without stirring until they release their water, it boils off, and the cut sides brown, about 8 minutes total. Dry-searing rather than sweating in fat is the trick: the mushrooms give up their liquid, reabsorb their own flavor, and take on the deep brown color that carries the whole dish.
- Push the mushrooms aside, add the shallot and garlic with a splash of water, and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Adding them after the mushrooms have browned keeps them from steaming the pan and stalling the color you just built.
- Stir in the marjoram and bouillon, then pour in the oat cream and 0.25 cup (60 ml) water. Simmer until the sauce thickens enough to coat the mushrooms, 3 to 4 minutes. Marjoram is the German herb for mushrooms, and the oat cream gives the richness of a Rahmsauce with no dairy and no flour thickener.
- Off the heat, grate in the nutmeg and stir in the vinegar and black pepper. A teaspoon of vinegar cuts the richness and brightens the sauce the way a squeeze of lemon would, standing in for salt. Fold in the parsley and serve over boiled potatoes, whole grains, or toasted whole-grain bread.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving: 120 calories, 5 g protein, 3 g fiber, 130 mg sodium. Computed from USDA FoodData Central reference values for the main ingredients. This is an approximation, not a laboratory measurement. How these are computed.
Cost per serving is estimated from US national-average retail prices for cheap staple forms, using BLS dried-bean prices and USDA produce prices. Prices vary by store and season, so treat it as a guide, not a receipt. How this is computed.
