Mediterranean Style Mushrooms

Button mushrooms simmered in a quick tomato broth spiked with garlic, olive oil, and lemon juice. This is the kind of simple, flavor-forward cooking that makes Mediterranean food so satisfying without any heaviness.

The technique here is all about reduction. After the mushrooms poach in the aromatic broth, you pull them out and boil the liquid hard until it concentrates into a glossy, intensely flavored sauce. That reduced broth spooned over the mushrooms delivers way more punch than the thin cooking liquid ever could.

Skinning and seeding the tomatoes first is worth the extra step. It gives you a clean, smooth broth instead of stringy bits floating around the plate.

Kitchen Tips

• Wipe the mushrooms clean with a damp cloth rather than rinsing. Waterlogged mushrooms won’t absorb the broth flavors and they’ll dilute your sauce.
• Remove the celery, parsley sprig, and bay leaf before reducing. They’ve done their job as aromatics and will turn bitter if boiled down with the liquid.
• Serve at room temperature for the best flavor. These mushrooms actually taste better after sitting for 20 minutes than straight off the stove.

Variations

• Add a splash of white wine to the broth along with the water for a more complex, slightly acidic base.
• Toss in pitted Kalamata olives and capers during the last minute of simmering for a Provencal spin.
• Use cremini or mixed wild mushrooms for deeper, earthier flavor.