Mushroom soup, mushroom pasta sauce, mushroom filled ravioli, so many ideas, so little time, especially for wild mushrooms! If you’d like to change things up a bit add a few dried Porcini that have been soaked, drained and chopped or substitute some fresh Chanterelles for some of the brown mushrooms. In the spring, if you are lucky, you might get your hands on some fresh Porcini…delicious! I think these crostini make a great appetizer when entertaining.
Makes Approximately 40 Crostini
¼ cup EVO
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 large clove garlic, minced
2 ½ lbs. brown mushrooms
1 ½ cups whipping cream/heavy cream
½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano
3 Tbsp. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 thin baguettes or ficelle’s
Garnish: sprigs of parsley
In large skillet, heat 1 Tbsp. of the EVOO over medium heat; cook onion for 3 – 5 minutes or until softened but not brown; add garlic; cook for 1 minute. Remove onions and garlic from pan; set aside.
Wipe out the pan; add remaining oil to pan; cook mushrooms over medium to medium high heat for 12 – 15 minutes until the moisture from the mushrooms evaporates. Add the onion mixture and cream; bring to a boil. Cook over medium high heat, stirring occasionally for approximately 5 minutes or until thickened amd the mushrooms are coated; remove from the heat. Stir in ¼ cup of the cheese and chopped parsley; season with salt and pepper.
Preheat oven to 400F.
Note: You can make the mushroom mixture the day before, cool, cover and store in the fridge until needed.
Slice the baguettes into thin slices, approximately ¼” thick. Spread each with a heaping tablespoonful of the mushroom mixture; sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Place onto a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 5 – 6 minutes or until toasted and heated through. Garnish with a small piece of parsley, serve hot.
Tip: Alternatively, you can slice the bread, place on a baking sheet, brush the top with a little EVOO and bake at 400F for approximately 5 – 8 minutes or until slightly golden. Cool. When ready to serve the crostini, top each with some mushroom mixture and bake as above. This will make a slightly crisper crostini and has the benefit of being able to prepare the baguette slices well ahead.
