Mushroom Cognac Sauce

This French mushroom cognac sauce goes with all meats, from chicken, pork and steak to duck and game.

The sauce is made in just a few minutes, it's perfect for entertaining or a special meal at home.

Better than that, it's really easy to make and it's so creamy and delicious, with or without the brandy!

Bon appétit!   

Jump to:

• ❤️ Why you will love this dish
• 🥘 Ingredients
• 🍽 Equipment
• 🔪 Instructions
• 🥗 Side Dishes
• 🥙 Substitutions
• 📖 Variations
• 🍣 Storage
• 🍱 Prepare in Advance
• More mushroom recipes
• 📋 Recipe
• French Sauces
• 💬 Comments

I discovered this mushroom sauce duxelles at a neighbours house in France, where it was served with a simply cooked pork fillet. It tasted amazing and was so easy to do that I've been making it ever since.

The beauty of this sauce is that it goes really well with all sorts of meats, trust me, I've tried them all! My favourites are duck breast, steak or a pork chop. It's easy to add different herbs too, to compliment the different meats.

As the sauce is so creamy there is no need to make too much fuss with the meat. So, for a dinner party, you could simple cook some chicken breast in the oven in foil and then serve with the sauce.

❤️ Why you will love this dish

• Easy to make.
• Delicious with all meats.
• Perfect for entertaining!

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🥘 Ingredients

• Chestnut mushrooms or brown mushrooms - I buy these mushrooms all the time as they have a great flavour. It doesn't matter if you have broken or uneven mushrooms as they will all be finely chopped.
• Double or heavy cream - this add a real decadent richness.
• Brandy or cognac - for the sauce duxelles or leave it out completely if you prefer.
• Garlic cloves - not powder.
• Shallots - I prefer the longer, larger banana shallots. They are much easier to peel and are slightly sweet.
• Fresh sage - totally optional, but this goes so well with a plain grilled pork chop.
• Seasoning - flaked sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Butter and oil - for frying. Adding a little vegetable oil stops the butter from burning, but still gives it the buttery taste.

The printable recipe card with full ingredient quantities and instructions can be found at the bottom of the article.

🍽 Equipment

• sharp knife
• chopping board
• wooden spoon
• frying pan or skillet

🔪 Instructions

Chop the mushrooms, shallots and garlic finely.

For the best result, slice the mushrooms, chop them and then cross chop until you have fine pieces. The smaller the pieces are, the more they will cook down and add flavour to the sauce. This is a great technique for chopping herbs too.

Heat the oil and butter over a medium heat in a frying pan, then add the shallots for 4-5 minutes until they are translucent.

Stir regularly and don't allow them to colour or burn. They just need to be soft.

Tip in the mushrooms  and cook for 2 minutes. Add the garlic for another minute, stirring to make sure it doesn't burn.

Pour in the brandy and herbs and cook, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes, and reduce until the liquid has almost disappeared.

Add the cream and bring to a simmer. Check the seasoning.

Sprinkle over the remaining herbs.

💭 Top Tip

• If you prefer a thicker sauce, combine a teaspoon of cornflour/cornstarch with a tablespoon of water and stir into the sauce.

Serve the sauce immediately with the meat or poured over vegetables.

🥗 Side Dishes

• Côte de Boeuf 
• Rack of Pork
• Pork Confit
• Bavette Steak
• Slow Cooker Brisket
• Flanken Short Ribs
• Roast Rib of Beef
• Picanha Beef
• Chateaubriand
• Jacob's Ladder
• Spider Steak

🥙 Substitutions

• Chestnut mushrooms - use plain white mushrooms of any size or shape.
• Double cream - use crème fraîche instead.
• Brandy - use sherry, madeira or white wine if you prefer or leave it out completely.
• Shallots - use a small onion instead.

📖 Variations

• Porcini mushrooms - for an even richer sauce put some dried porcini mushrooms in a bowl and cover with boiling water for 10 minutes. Drain, chop and add to the sauce when the mushrooms are softened.

🍣 Storage

• Refrigerator - cool cover and use in a day.
• Freezer - not suitable for home freezing as the sauce is likely to split.
• Reheat - in a frying pan over a low to medium heat.

🍱 Prepare in Advance

• Prepare the mushrooms, garlic and shallots in advance and cook the sauce just before serving.

🤔FAQs

Let me know what you think in the comments or you can post a picture and tag me on Twitter @chezlereve, Instagram @chezlerevefrancais, or Facebook @chezlerevefrancais

More mushroom recipes

• Easy Mushroom Tartlets
• Wild Mushroom Risotto
• Tarragon and Mushroom Soup
• Garlic Mushrooms in a Parmesan Panko Crust
• Raw Mushroom Salad with Garlic and Parsley

📋 Recipe

🍲 Food Safety

• Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat.
• Wash hands after touching raw meat.
• Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods.
• Never leave cooking food unattended.
• Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds.
• Always have good ventilation when using gas.

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