Best Mark Bittmans Mushroom Stock Recipes

CREAMY ONE-POT PASTA WITH CHICKEN AND MUSHROOMS

Creamy One-Pot Pasta With Chicken and Mushrooms image

Cooking pasta the way you would make risotto may sound new and hip. But it's at least old enough to have been demonstrated to me in Rome in 1976, and I imagine as old as pasta itself. In this method, the liquid is minimized: there's no need for a gallon per pound of pasta. The liquid is added gradually to the pasta, which absorbs it completely and thereby retains its starch. This makes the pasta creamy and rich; it also gains the flavor of the stock. You can use pretty much any pasta shape you like, but timing will vary depending on size. This approach may seem like more work than making pasta in the ordinary way. But as the making of the "sauce" is integrated into the pasta-cooking, it really becomes a one-dish meal - as interesting as risotto, and even a bit quicker. Here is a combination of gemelli with mushrooms and chicken to get you started.

Provided by Mark Bittman

Categories dinner, one pot, pastas, main course

Time 45m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 11

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil, more as needed
1 shallot or small onion, chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 cups crimini, shiitake or button mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed and sliced
1/2 pound cut pasta like gemelli or penne, or long pasta broken into bits
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine or water
3 to 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 boneless chicken thighs, diced
Chopped fresh parsley, optional
Freshly grated Parmesan, optional

Steps:

Put 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. When hot, add shallot, garlic and mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms soften and begin to brown on edges, about 10 minutes. Add pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is glossy and coated with oil, 2 to 3 minutes. Add a little salt and pepper, then wine. Stir and let liquid bubble away.
Ladle stock into skillet 1/2 cup or so at a time, stirring after each addition and every minute or so. When liquid is just about evaporated, add more. Mixture should be neither soupy nor dry. Keep heat at medium and stir frequently.
Begin tasting pasta 10 minutes after you add it; you want it to be tender but with a tiny bit of crunch. When pasta is about 3 to 4 minutes away from being done, add chicken and stir to combine. Continue to cook until chicken is done - it will be white on inside when cut - and pasta is how you like it. Taste, adjust seasoning, garnish with parsley and Parmesan if using, and serve.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 558, UnsaturatedFat 16 grams, Carbohydrate 56 grams, Fat 23 grams, Fiber 3 grams, Protein 27 grams, SaturatedFat 5 grams, Sodium 999 milligrams, Sugar 7 grams, TransFat 0 grams

MUSHROOM SOUP

Mushroom Soup image

If the word "mushroom" conjures for you white buttons in little supermarket tubs, you're not alone. But there is a big world of mushrooms out there, and you don't have to be a forager to live in it. Wild mushrooms can be found in spring, summer and fall, but farmed mushrooms, grown mostly in the dark, are always around and a little easier to find than the ones hiding in the woods. So are dried mushrooms, which may be domesticated or truly wild and which are among the most flavorful ingredients you can keep in your pantry. This lovely soup is made with a combination of dried and fresh. It's delightfully simple - it comes together in about a half hour - which allows the complex flavors of the mushrooms to really shine through.

Provided by Mark Bittman

Categories dinner, easy, soups and stews, appetizer

Time 30m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 11

Ingredients

2 to 3 ounces dried mushrooms (like cremini, morel; whatever you like)
1/2 stick butter
1 sprig fresh thyme or rosemary
1 large yellow onion or 3 or 4 shallots, chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 pound fresh mushrooms like shiitake or button, sliced (a variety is nice)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup sherry or Madeira
5 cups chicken stock, mushroom-soaking liquid or a combination
1 cup cream (optional)
Chopped fresh parsley leaves for garnish

Steps:

Soak the dried mushrooms in 5 cups very hot water until soft, anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes. When they are tender, remove mushrooms from the soaking liquid with a slotted spoon, reserving the liquid; slice or chop if the pieces are large.
Meanwhile, put the butter in a large pot that can later be covered over medium heat. When it melts, add the herb, onions and garlic and sauté, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes. Turn the heat to medium high, and add the fresh mushrooms; add the soaked mushrooms when they're ready. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook until the mushrooms have given off their liquid and begun to brown, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the sherry or Madeira to the pot and cook, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom as the liquor starts to bubble. Add the stock or soaking liquid and bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a steady simmer and cook, covered, until flavors have melded, about 15 minutes.
Discard the herb. Reduce the heat to low, and purée the liquid with a hand-held mixer to desired consistency. (I like it half-puréed.) Add the cream if you're using it; stir to combine and let simmer for a few minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning; garnish with parsley and serve.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 246, UnsaturatedFat 4 grams, Carbohydrate 30 grams, Fat 13 grams, Fiber 7 grams, Protein 8 grams, SaturatedFat 7 grams, Sodium 657 milligrams, Sugar 7 grams, TransFat 0 grams