Simple Braised Mushrooms

Our Brunswick Forest cookbook club met on 11 April 2023.  The recipes that everyone made were from Giada de Laurentiis’s cookbook called, Eat Better, Feel Better: My Recipes for Wellness and Healing, Inside and Out. 

 
I selected this simple but delicious mushroom side dish. It was a hit along with many other recipes that evening.
 
Serves 6
 
Total time: 35 minutes
 
Ingredients
 

2 T. olive oil
1 shallot, finely chopped
1-1/2 t. kosher salt, divided
3 (10 oz) packages cremini mushrooms, trimmed and quartered
4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 T dry Marsala, sherry, or white wine, optional
1/2 c. chicken or vegetable broth
1 T unsalted butter
 
 
Directions
 
Heat a large straight-sided skillet over medium high heat. Add the oil and heat another 30 seconds. Add the shallot and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt to the hot pan and cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes or until fragrant and beginning to soften. 

  

Add the mushrooms to the pan along with another 1/2 teaspoon salt and the thyme.  Cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms have let off some of their juices are beginning to brown, about 10 minutes.

 
Deglaze with the Marsala, if using, and add the broth and remaining salt. Reduce the heat to low to maintain a gentle simmer. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Uncover the pan, increase the heat to medium and cook until the liquid has reduced by half, about an additional 5 minutes. Discard the thyme sprigs, stir in the butter and serve.
 
My Notes: 
 
I used chicken broth and white wine.
 
I added two cloves of garlic, chopped, when I added the shallots to the skillet. 
 
Next time I will also add some hot pepper flakes.
 
In my opinion, the butter is really not needed.