Mushroom duxelle is a fancy way of saying, “mushrooms, shallots and herbs made into a paste.”  I came up with this recipe when I was creating a vegan Beef Wellington now known as Beefless Wellington. Once made you can add the duxelle to soups or stews for extra flavor. You can also serve it on its own as a spread for crackers.  The first time I made this I was shocked at how much liquid there is in mushrooms. You are going to be squeezing most of it out, so have a non terrycloth dishtowel ready that you won’t mind staining.

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Yield: about 1/2 cup

Ingredients:
8 ounces Cremini mushrooms, cleaned
2 TBL vegan butter, divided
1 shallot, minced
1/2 tsp dried thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup vermouth or white wine

Directions:

1.  Put the mushrooms in a food processor.  Pulse until they are finely chopped. You don’t want any large pieces.

2.  Scrape mushrooms onto a clean, cotton towel.  Do not use terry cloth.  Twist towel around mushrooms and wring out as much liquid as you can over the sink.

3.  Heat a small non-stick skillet over medium-high.  Add 1 TBL butter and swirl to melt.

4.  Add shallots to the butter and saute 2 minutes.  Add mushrooms, a pinch of salt, a pinch of black pepper, and thyme.

5. Cook, stirring frequently, until mushrooms appear dry and are beginning to brown; about 5 minutes.

6. Stir in remaining tablespoon of butter.  After it melts, stir in the vermouth or wine.

7. Cook, stirring frequently, until the vermouth has evaporated.

8. Remove from heat and cool.  Use now or store covered in the refrigerator.