Whip Up This Mushroom Duxelles Recipe for an Elegant Appetizer (2024)

FAQs

What is mushroom Duxelle made of? ›

Duxelles (French: [dyksɛl]) is a French cuisine term that refers to a mince of mushrooms, onions, herbs (such as thyme or parsley), and black pepper, sautéed in butter and reduced to a paste. Cream is sometimes used, and some recipes add a dash of madeira or sherry.

Visual cues are the best indicator for when duxelles are done. They're ready when the mushroom mixture is thickened, nearly all the liquid has evaporated, and the mushrooms are starting to stick to the bottom of the pan a tiny bit. Expect this to take about eight minutes.

The earthy flavor of mushrooms is concentrated by cooking them down in a mixture of butter and shallots, then white wine and finally cream is added, creating a thick, rich sauce that is an essential component of classic dishes like Beef Wellington. Or you can just eat it with a spoon.

Duxelle is often spelled Duxelles, and as you've likely noticed, this food item is capitalized. Why? The food is named after the French Marquis d'Uxelles, who lived during the 17th and 18th centuries. The Marquis was a French general and a foreign minister.

Meaning of duxelles in English

a mixture of finely sliced mushrooms, onions and herbs, often used to make sauces or to add flavor to dishes: Cook the duxelles over a low heat so that you don't burn the mushrooms.

dux·​elles ˌdük-ˈsel. (ˌ)dü-ˈsel. : a garnish or stuffing made especially of finely chopped sautéed mushrooms.

An important step in making duxelles is to remove as much moisture as possible from the mushrooms, both before cooking and during the process. They need to be cooked long enough so the mushrooms release their moisture and then cook completely until the liquid evaporates.

(Yes, you can totally freeze wine for cooking.) So what can you do with duxelles? All kinds of delicious things! It will keep in the fridge for a week or so and it can be frozen for a few months.

For the mushroom duxelles make sure you let it cook long enough to have all the moisture evaporate. If it is too wet the puff pastry will become soggy.

Duxelles is said to have been created by the 17th-century French chef François Pierre La Varenne (1615–1678) and to have been named after his employer, Nicolas Chalon du Blé, Marquis d'Uxelles, Maréchal de France.

What is a good substitute for duxelles? ›

Bone marrow. This will knock any mushroom duxelle out of the water. Of course, it would also be better with mushrooms too, but bone marrow is the way.

White truffles

These types of mushroom are also called Alba truffles. The intense garlicky and earthy aroma of white truffles is what makes them considered some of the most luxurious types of food mushrooms.

Much of this recipe can be prepared in advance: the mushroom duxelles can be made up to 3 days ahead, the seared meat can be stored in the refrigerator for several hours up to one day, and the sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

A traditional Beef Wellington consists of a beef tenderloin wrapped in layers of pâté, duxelles (a finely chopped mushroom mixture), parma ham, and puff pastry, then baked. Rumor has it that Beef Wellington got its name from Arthur Wellesley, the 1st Duke of Wellington, who counted the dish among his favorite recipes.

Ingredients for Mushroom Pâté Naturally, mushrooms form the foundation of this pâté recipe. To the mushrooms, you'll also add nuts, butter and olive oil, fresh herbs, and a few other ingredients that help to bring balance to the recipe and give it a deeper, more resonant flavor.

Seared portobello mushrooms are layered with apple cider-caramelized onions and sautéed mushrooms, which are seasoned with soy sauce for flavor and bolstered with walnuts for texture. The rich mushroom filling is vegan, and the entire dish can easily be made vegan, too.

The cap normally houses the spore producing surface of the fruiting body, which can consist of gills (oyster mushrooms), pores (porcinis), ridges/false gills (chanterelles), or teeth (Lion's Mane). Many mushrooms produce spores on their gills (on the underside of the mushroom's cap).