Button Mushrooms à la Crème

I enjoy wild mushrooms, but I happen to like ordinary white button mushrooms, too; the cultivated kind, the ones that are also called champignons de Paris (especially by the French). I suppose they are considered pedestrian in foodie circles, and that’s a pity.

This recipe makes great use of them. It’s a simple one, with only a few ingredients: a bit of butter, a handful of sweet herbs and some tangy crème fraîche. Try it as an easy side dish or over noodles.

Ingredients

• 1 pound very fresh cultivated white mushrooms, button size (larger is fine)
• 3 tablespoons butter
• Salt and pepper
• ½ teaspoon lemon zest
• Squeeze of lemon juice, about 1 tablespoon
• 1 teaspoon chopped tarragon
• 4 ounces crème fraîche
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 1 tablespoon thinly sliced chives

• Nutritional Information

  • Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

    160 calories; 14 grams fat; 8 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 5 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 4 grams protein; 37 milligrams cholesterol; 21 milligrams sodium

  Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.
  Powered by DiningAndCooking.com

4 servings

Preparation

1. Trim mushroom stems. If gritty, rinse briefly in a colander with warm tap water and blot dry. (Or wipe them with a damp paper towel.) Halve or quarter mushrooms larger than button size.
2. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. When it sizzles, add mushrooms and stir to coat. Season well with salt and pepper. Turn up heat and cook, continually shaking pan and stirring with a wooden spoon. The high heat should evaporate any liquid from the mushrooms. Cook until just done, 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice and tarragon, then the crème fraîche, stirring continuously over high heat until the sauce is reduced and somewhat thickened, 2 minutes or less. Turn off the heat, stir in the parsley and transfer mushrooms to a warm serving bowl. Sprinkle with chives and serve immediately.

About 20 minutes