Notes on ingredients
Featured ingredient: mushrooms
- Make this dish shine by cooking with a variety of mushrooms with unique textures and flavors. For an even more intense flavour, you can rehydrate the porcini mushrooms and add them to the stew.
- Go heavy on the meatier, less delicate mushrooms, such as oyster, shiitake, and cremini, and add a small amount of more delicate ones, such as black trumpet, chanterelle, or maitake. My favorite combination is 50% oysters, 25% shiitake and 25% maitake.
- Look for mushrooms that look plump, firm, and have a meaty texture; avoid those that appear dry or soggy.
- Fresh mushrooms should have a mild, slightly earthy odor. If they smell fishy or rather strong, they have probably gone bad.
Miso and anchovy paste (optional): I use 1 anchovy fillet AND white miso paste to amp up the umami, savory flavors here. For a purely vegetarian option, replace the anchovy with ½ to 1 teaspoon of soy sauce.
If you’re afraid of using anchovies, consider this an opportunity to take the leap and try something new! I promise it doesn’t make the dish taste fishy; it just adds a nice layer of salty, savory flavor.
Mushroom broth: I’m a huge, huge fan of Better than Bouillon mushroom broth because it comes in a jar that you can keep in the refrigerator for long-term storage. Best of all, it *really* adds delicious flavor compared to a typical broth. If you can’t find mushroom broth, you can use another type of broth or vegetable broth.
Red wine: Even though Burgundy wine is traditional, I say use whatever you like! Burgundy red wines are made with Pinot Noir grapes, so any type of Pinot Noir would be great here. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are good alternatives. The stew will taste the same as the wine, so be sure to use a good bottle of wine here.
For the complete list of ingredients and quantities, refer to the recipe card.
