Mushroom-Port Wine Reduction Sauce

I have been making this salad for a while. I made it more often when I had access to fresh green and wax beans at the farmer’s market. Where ever possible try to use fresh beans for this salad. This recipe assumes its the dead of winter and we are living on can goods.

Ingredients:

2 oz dried mushroom (porcini, chanterelle.)

8 oz fresh sliced mushrooms

1 1/2 cups beef broth

1 large shallot, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

3 Tsp butter

1Tsp flour

1 cup Tawny Port

1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Reconstitute dried mushrooms by warming the beef broth in a microwave, add dried mushrooms, and set aside for about 30 minutes.
  2. Once the mushrooms are rehydrated. Drain broth into a separate bowl.
  3. Cut rehydrated mushrooms into bite-sized pieces, if needed. Set mushroom liquid aside in a separate bowl
  4. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic and sauté until fragrant (about 2 mins)
  5. Add flour and cook until mixture is golden (3-4 min). Transfer to a bowl and set aside
  6. Add port wine to the saucepan, increasing heat to medium-high. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes.
  7. Add mushrooms, beef broth, and liquid reserved earlier and bring to a rapid simmer.
  8. Stir in shallot/flour mixture. Continue cooking, stirring constantly.
  9. Add Worcestershire sauce and cook until sauce thickens to correct thick and chunky consistency. If too thick, add water or more beef broth.
  10. Taste and add salt/pepper as needed.