Mushroom French Lentil And Chestnut Ragout Recipes

Steps:

• Soak porcini in 1 1/2 cups boiling water until softened, at least 20 minutes. Pick over fresh mushrooms, tearing or slicing bigger ones as needed.
• Place a large sauté pan over medium heat and add olive oil. Add onion and garlic and sauté until softened. Stir in cumin and celery salt. Drain porcini, reserving liquid, and add to pan, stirring for 1 to 2 minutes.
• Add fresh mushrooms and turn in pan until they begin to soften. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
• Stir in flour, followed by porcini soaking liquid and sherry. Cover and simmer until mushrooms are cooked through but retain a meaty bite, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a warmed platter, and sprinkle with a mixture of lemon zest and parsley. Serve with millet (as shown) or rice.

Steps:

• Place the dried mushrooms in a pyrex measuring cup or a bowl and pour on 2 cups boiling water. Let soak 30 minutes, while you prepare the other ingredients. Place a strainer over a bowl, line it with cheesecloth or paper towels, and drain the mushrooms. Save the liquid. Squeeze the mushrooms over the strainer and rinse until they are free of sand. Chop coarsely.
• Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy skillet or a wide saucepan and add the shallots or onion. Cook, stirring often, until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic, stir together for about 30 seconds, until fragrant, then add the fresh mushrooms, rosemary and thyme, and turn up the heat slightly. Cook until the mushrooms begin to sweat, then add a generous pinch of salt. Stir for about 5 minutes over medium-high heat as the mushrooms continue to soften and sweat. Add the flour and continue to cook the mushrooms, stirring, until they have softened a little more and you can no longer see the flour, about 2 minutes. Add the reconstituted dried mushrooms and the wine and turn the heat to high. Cook, stirring, until the liquid boils down and glazes the mushrooms, about 5 minutes. Stir in the dried mushroom soaking liquid, bring to a simmer, add salt to taste, and cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until the mushrooms are thoroughly tender and fragrant and the surrounding broth is thick, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in some freshly ground pepper and the parsley, taste and adjust salt.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375.
• Skim off chestnut skins that have floated to the top. In their liquid, bring to a boil and simmer for about 45 minutes, until tender. Drain, reserving the cooking liquids.
• Cover the lentils with 4 cups of water in a saucepan. Add the bouquet garni of rosemary, thyme, and 1 bay leaf and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook partially covered for 30 to 35 minutes, until just tender.
• Toss the mushrooms with the olive oil and tamari. Roast for 30 minutes or until brown and tender.
• Saute the onion and garlic for 10 minutes until translucent. Add the lentils with the cooked mushrooms and chestnuts along with their cooking liquid.
• Stir in lemon juice and herbs.