September 26: Mixed Wild Mushroom Saute on Toast Points with Gruyere

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 shallots, thinly sliced
1 1/2 pounds assorted mushrooms, such as cremini, portobello, shiitake, or fresh porcini, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme plus a few sprigs for garnish
   Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dry sherry or dry white wine
1 cup beef stock or broth
1/2 cup cream or half-and-half
8 slices wheat, whole-grain, or white sliced bread, toasted
2 cups shredded Gruyere cheese (1/2 pound brick)
   Tossed salad

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add the EVOO and butter. When the butter melts, add the garlic and shallots and swish around for 30 seconds, then add the mushrooms and combine. Sprinkle the chopped thyme over the mushrooms.

Cook the mushrooms, stirring frequently, until they brown. Add salt and pepper to taste. (Do not season mushrooms before they brown. Salt draws out liquid and will make the mushrooms wet and as a result, they will actually take longer to brown.) Sprinkle the flour over the mushrooms and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more, stirring to evenly distribute. Whisk the sherry into the pan first and cook it off for a minute, then whisk in the stock.

Thicken the stock for a minute, then add the cream and simmer over low heat for 5 minutes.

Cut the toasted bread from corner to corner. Arrange 4 triangles of toast on each dinner plate.

Pour one quarter of the mushrooms across each portion and top with lots of Gruyere and with thyme sprigs. Serve with a tossed green salad or baby spinach salad.

4 SERVINGS

This is an interesting meal. It's not all that substantial because it doesn't have any meat to it, but it sure tastes good. I missed the part about the salad until just now. I added it to the ingredient list, because she only mentions it at the end of the recipe. I used Swiss cheese instead of Gruyere and I only used 1 tablespoon of butter. Rachael Ray's tidbit is: "You can make this dish (and variations, #273 or #274) vegetarian by substituting vegetable broth for the stock."