Creamy Mushroom, Shallot and Cognac Sauce

Creamy Mushroom Sauce. I discovered this sauce duxelles at a neighbours house in France, where it was served with a pork fillet. It tasted amazing and was so easy to do that I've been making it ever since. I've been meaning to put this recipe up for years but the pictures could never do it justice! Anyway, here is the recipe, which you can use with all meats and vegetables.It uses all my favourite French ingredients but it's easy to customise to your own taste too. 

What is a sauce duxelles?

The duxelles is a sauce made by slowly cooking finely chopped mushrooms with onions and herbs in butter. It's used as a base for sauces, in stuffings, with vegetables and as a paste on a beef fillet in beef wellington. Cooking mushrooms until their liquid has evaporated concentrates the flavour.

What are the ingredients for the Creamy Mushroom Sauce?

This sauce uses cream, and for this recipe you need double or heavy cream. If you a re looking to reduce the fat and calorie content try using reduced fat creme fraiche or fat free quark.

You can use any mushroom for the sauce but I normally use a plain white mushroom or a chestnut mushroom. They are going to be chopped finely so uneven mushrooms are fine.

For the duxelles I have used cognac. You can use sherry, madeira or white wine or leave the alcohol out altogether.

For flavour I have used garlic and shallots. If you haven't used shallots before, their flavour is generally sweeter than an onion. I prefer to use banana shallots as they are slightly easier to peel but a sweet onion works well too.

In this dish I have used fresh sage as I am serving the sauce with pork. If you are serving with chicken try tarragon, thyme with beef and rosemary with lamb.

I have used oil and butter for frying.

How to make the Creamy Mushroom Sauce

Chop the mushrooms, shallots and garlic finely. You could chop in the food processor.

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.

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, and reduce until the liquid has almost disappeared.

Add the cream and bring to a simmer. Check the seasoning. If you have used creme fraiche you might like to add a teaspoon of sugar. If you like a thicker sauce combine a teaspoon of cornflour with a tablespoon of water and stir in.

Sprinkle over the remaining herbs.

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

What can you serve with this sauce?

• Pork fillet with Porcini and Apples
• Slow Roast Belly Pork
• French Roast Chicken
• Chicken Cordon Bleu

Creamy Mushroom Shallot and Cognac Sauce

Amanda

Really easy French sauce for all meats with cream, mushrooms, shallots and Cognac.

5 from 7 votes

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Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 10 mins

Total Time 20 mins

Course Sauce

Cuisine French

Servings 4

Calories 360 kcal

Ingredients

 

MetricUS Customary

 

1x2x3x

• 300 ml double cream
• 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
• 2 tbsp brandy or Cognac
• 130 g mushrooms finely chopped
• 100 g shallots finely chopped
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp sage finely chopped

Instructions

 

• Over a medium heat heat the oil and butter add add the shallots for 3-4 minutes until translucent.
• Add the mushrooms for 2 minutes then add the garlic 1 minute.
• Add brandy and half the sage and reduce until the liquid has almost disappeared.
• Add the cream.
• Heat to a simmer and check the seasoning.
• Serve immediately with the remaining herbs scattered over.

Nutrition Facts

Creamy Mushroom Shallot and Cognac Sauce

Amount Per Serving

Calories 360 Calories from Fat 306

% Daily Value*

Fat 34g52%

Saturated Fat 19g119%

Cholesterol 110mg37%

Sodium 59mg3%

Potassium 243mg7%

Carbohydrates 8g3%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 3g3%

Protein 3g6%

Vitamin A 1191IU24%

Vitamin C 4mg5%

Calcium 61mg6%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Notes

If you find the sauce too thin for your taste add a slurry of 1 tsp cornflour and 1 tbsp water if needed. 

Keyword cognac, duxelles, mushroom, shallots

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