~ "By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; Through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures." ~ "Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing" ~ "But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy." ~ "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths."~

Monday, December 27, 2010

Garlic and Butter Roasted Mushrooms with Capers...a new favorite!



Garlic and Butter Roasted Mushrooms with Capers...a new favorite! This mushroom dish smells wonderful as it is roasting and tastes even better. When I first saw the recipe, I instantly knew I had to make it. It so reminded me of the garlicky escargot my husband and I had in Paris a couple of years ago....for the very first time. It was a dish I was hesitant to try, but had heard so many people loving it. So while in Paris, my husband and I knew we had to try them... at least once. We actually loved the escargot and went back a few days later and had it again:). I am sure we enjoyed the garlicky butter sauce more than anything else....oh, and of course their incredible French bread that was just perfect for sopping up the rich sauce. This recipe is quite similar to the escargot... except the escargot is replaced with mushrooms. What a great idea!
Now, my husband and I really, really love mushrooms. I most always have some type of mushroom in the fridge and often prepare them as a side to almost everything. I usually saute the mushrooms in a skillet. And from time to time, I will roast them. I watch the amount of fat I use and mostly use a bit of olive oil. I'll toss in some minced garlic as well... as mushrooms and garlic go so well together. It's a good thing because we rather like garlic:). On special occasions, I'll also add a pad of butter. And that always makes them taste a hundred times better:). But this recipe caught my attention in that it had capers. I like capers, but don't use them that often. Except maybe with smoked salmon canapes, as a part of an antipasto platter, a salad, or when making the chicken picatta. I've yet to fry the capers and use them as a topping. But roasting the mushrooms with capers was new for me. I felt the combined flavors were just right. Incredibly delicious!
I pretty much followed the recipe, except I added a sprinkle of chile flakes and just a splash of white wine. I also cut the recipe in half and increased the garlic a tad bit. The only shallow pan I had was a pie plate...I find it is best to serve the mushrooms in the same dish you roast the mushrooms in. This way you won't lose any of the sauce. I served the mushrooms in another dish(es) as I didn't care for the "pie-plate" look(that's why you don't see too much sauce in the photos...if you squint, you''ll see the sauce in the pie plate photo:) ).
I'll be making this dish again. Just loved it. If you don't have or like capers, you might be able mix in some grated Parmesan cheese right before serving. Maybe I'll try that next time, just to vary things up a bit. I am posting this recipe, in case you would like to try it as an appetizer for the New Year's entertaining. Hope you enjoy...

You will need: inspired by SmittenKitchen and adapted from Gourmet.com
Recipe can easily be doubled...
I thought this was plenty for 2 people as a side dish, but could serve 3-4 as an appetizer.

8 oz mushrooms( white or baby bella or a combination thereof)*
3 tsp small capers
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 TBS oil( I used olive oil)
1 1/2 TBS unsalted butter, cut into pieces
splash of white wine(optional)
squeeze of fresh lemon juice
chopped flat-leaf parsley
dried chile flakes(optional)
salt and pepper to taste
*If mushrooms are large, cut in half
or even in quarters

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450ºF with rack in middle.
2.
Toss mushrooms with capers, garlic, oil, and salt and pepper( chile flakes and/or black pepper) in a shallow baking dish.
Top with butter.
3. Roast in either a preheated oven or you can easily do in a toaster oven( which is what I used). Stir mushrooms occasionally while roasting.
4. Add a splash of white wine halfway through the roasting, if desired.
5. Roast until mushrooms are tender and golden about 15 to 20 minutes.
6. Stir in a squeeze of lemon juice and sprinkle with fresh parsley.

~Serve hot as an accompaniment to fish, chicken, beef, etc. or as an appetizer with crusty bread.

13 comments:

Unknown said...

I just have to make these, I love mushrooms panfried and butter. The additions here will make it divine.

megi said...

Yum, this looks so good, I love mushrooms.

Ellie said...

Jennifurla and Megi, These mushrooms are really delicious...I think the butter makes all the difference:).
Thanks for stopping by.

Robin said...

I made this as part of dinner tonight with beef tenderloin. I ate it as a side, but it also works really well as a steak topping. Thanks!

test it comm said...

I like the sound of roasting mushrooms like this!

Ellie said...

Robin, I am so glad you liked the mushrooms...thanks for your feedback...and they sound great with a piece of beef tenderloin:). I am thinking if you slice the mushrooms, they would definitely work well in top of steak.

Kevin, These mushrooms are really delicious...and worth making.

Thanks for stopping by. ~Ellie

Mihaela said...

Ellie, imi place asa mult cum arata ciupercile tale, ca trebuie sa le incerc si eu. Si am tot ce imi trebuie in frigider. Super!!

Mihaela said...

Ok, m-am intors, doar ce le-am facut si mancat, sunt delicioase! Awesome!

Ellie said...

Mihaela, Imi pare bine ca ti-a placut si tie:). De cand am facut varianta asta...am inceput sa cumpar capers mai des:)
Thanks you for trying out the recipe and for the feedback. I appreaciate it.
O zi buna!~Ellie

Nancy said...

Made these tonight, yum, yum, yum. Thanks for posting.

Ellie said...

Nancy You are welcome...so glad you enjoyed the dish! Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback...so appreciated:).
Have a great day!

Annie Lee said...

I made it...tasted really nice and appetizing...Just wished it looked exactly like in the picture after I cooked it. Didnt expect it to have bit of sauce...but its all delicious.

Ellie said...

Annie, So glad to have you stop by and share your feedback... and that you enjoyed the dish. Sometimes mushrooms can have a lot of liquid and need to be baked longer to evaporate some of the mushroom water it leaves behind. I noticed in order for the mushrooms to get a caramelized color it needs high heat and left aone(without stirring)... this works for baking...as well as for sautéing in a pan. And if you are baking them, it helps that the dish is close to the heating element to further the browning. Sometimes, it helps to put them underneath the the broiler if you notice it needs more color. I baked mine in a toaster over. In any case, I'm sure glad to hear you enjoyed them and thanks a bunch for stopping by!