Most cultures enjoy mushrooms, but none treats them more regally than the French. This prime example is best made with lots of butter (not bad with the smaller amount, either, of course) and wild mushrooms. But if you have access only to cultivated mushrooms, combine a couple of varieties—button with shiitake and portobello, for example, and, if possible, a small handful of dried porcini, reconstituted as on page 112. This can also be served as a side dish, especially with poultry.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　3 to 6 tablespoons butter

　　2 tablespoons minced shallot

　　1 pound mushrooms, preferably an assortment, trimmed and sliced

　　1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves

　　1 teaspoon fresh thyme or tarragon leaves

　　2 tablespoons chopped fresh chervil or basil leaves

　　2 tablespoons snipped fresh chives

　　1 teaspoon minced garlic, optional

　　Salt and black pepper to taste

　　

Step 1

Put the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. When the butter foam subsides, add the shallot and cook for a minute. Reduce the heat to medium and add the mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes.

　　

Step 2

Add the remaining ingredients and cook, stirring, for another minute or two. Turn off the heat and serve hot or warm; these can also sit for a little while and then be reheated.

　　

Mushrooms with Cream

Step 3

Quite the luxury: Step 1 remains the same. In step 2, before adding the herbs and garlic, stir in 1/2 cup heavy cream or crème fraîche. Bring to a boil, stirring, then reduce the heat, add the remaining ingredients, and finish as directed.

　　

Mushrooms with Herbs and Oil

Step 4

In step 1, substitute extra virgin olive oil for the butter; omit the shallots. In step 2, use parsley only (though it won’t hurt to add the other herbs), along with 1 tablespoon minced garlic and about 1/4 cup fresh bread crumbs (page 580). Finish with a few drops of fresh lemon juice.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.