Mushroom Ragout with Goat Cheese Grit Cakes
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I’ve been craving mushrooms A LOT lately, so I coupled my craving with a dish I’ve never made before – a ragout! “Ragout” is derived from the French ragoûter, which means “to revive the taste”. Basically, it’s a stew. I decided to use thyme and basil to season the mushrooms because that’s what I had on hand, but feel free to use your favorite herbs – fresh rosemary would also be delicious here.
I paired it with goat cheese grit cakes. You can use whatever cheese you like – I think it would also be great with smoked cheddar and jalapenos. Now I want to make it again with smoked cheddar and jalapenos. #hungry
Let’s start with the grits, since they take some time to set.
You’ll need quick-cooking grits, milk, goat cheese, garlic, green onion, salt and pepper.
Combine the milk and garlic in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer.
Once the milk is simmering, slowly whisk in the grits. Stir constantly, they’ll thicken quickly, about 6-8 minutes.
Once the grits are cooked through and thickened, remove from heat and add in goat cheese. Stir until fully incorporated. Add salt and pepper, taste and adjust as needed.
Add in the chopped green onion.
Spread the grits evenly in an oiled pan. Cover with plastic wrap, making sure the plastic touches the surface of the grits so a skin doesn’t form. Chill until set, about an hour.
While the grits are chilling, start on the mushrooms.
You’ll need mushrooms (I’m using shitaake, oyster and crimini), olive oil, white wine, basil, thyme, onion and garlic. Tangent: I have like, zero green thumbs, and I’ve managed to keep this basil plant alive for two weeks. Fresh basil is the shit, y’all!! Especially when all you have to do is reach over and snip some off!
Sidenote: Whenever I trim mushrooms, I keep the trimmings in the freezer for occasions just like this. Dump the mushroom trimmings in a saucepan with a few cups of water and a bay leaf, and ta-da! Tasty, quick mushroom broth in about 20 minutes. This is totes optional, vegetable broth or water would also do fine for the ragout.
Chiffonade the basil by rolling the leaves up tightly, then slicing thin strips. Easy peasy.
In a large, wide pan, heat olive oil and saute onions until soft. Add garlic and cook another 30 seconds. Turn the heat up to high and add in the mushrooms…
…and the basil and thyme. When using dried herbs, squish them between your fingers a bit before adding to the pan, it helps release the oils.
Once the mushrooms begin to release some of their liquid, season with a good pinch of salt. Sprinkle the flour and stir to coat the mushrooms; cook for a couple of minutes to cook out the raw flour taste. Add in the wine and reduce until it forms a glaze on the mushrooms.
Add in the broth or water and cook over medium heat until the liquid has thickened, about 15 minutes.
The grits should be firm now!
I used a biscuit cutter and made circles. You can also just cut it into squares and call it a day.
…but when they’re circles they look cuter so I cut circles lol
Brown the grit cakes in a non-stick pan with a little bit of oil – about 2-3 minutes per side.
For an appetizer-sized serving, top one grit cake with about 1/4 cup of the mushroom ragout and garnish with more chopped basil and parsley.
For a larger, main course serving, stack one more grit cake and another 1/4 cup of the mushroom mixture on top and garnish.
- for the grit cakes
- 3 1/2 cups whole milk
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup quick grits
- 4 oz fresh goat cheese
- 1/4 cup chopped green onion
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
for the mushroom ragout (adapted from nyt)- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 medium onion, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 lbs mushrooms, cleaned and trimmed (as many wild mushrooms as you can afford)
- 2 tsp flour
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1 tsp dried thyme or 2 tsp fresh
- 10 fresh basil leaves, cut into chiffonade
- 2 cups mushroom broth or vegetable broth or water * see note
- 1/2 tsp salt, more to taste
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper, more to taste
- fresh parsley and basil to garnish
- for the grits
- Lightly oil a 9x13" pan and set aside. In a medium saucepan, bring milk and garlic to a low boil. Slowly whisk in grits and stir over medium heat until cooked and thickened, about 6-8 minutes. Remove from heat and add in goat cheese; stir until fully incorporated. Taste and add salt and pepper; taste again and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Place grits in oiled 9x13" pan and cover with plastic wrap, making sure the plastic touches the surface of the grits so a skin doesn't form. Chill until firm, about 1 hour. When you're ready to serve, cut grits into squares or circles. Heat a little oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Brown the grit cakes on both sides, about 2-3 minutes per side, until warmed through.
- for the mushrooms
- Clean and trim mushrooms, removing any tough stems. Cut any large mushrooms in half. Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat, and saute onion until soft, 3-5 minutes. Add in garlic and cook another 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add in mushrooms, basil and thyme and turn the heat to high. Once the mushrooms begin to release some liquid and cook down a bit, season with a good pinch of salt and cook another 5 minutes. Turn heat down to medium high. Add in flour, stir and continue to cook until the raw flour is cooked and no longer visible, another 2 minutes.
- Add the wine and cook until reduced to a glaze over the mushrooms, about 5 minutes. Add in broth or water and cook over medium heat, stirring often. Cook until the liquid thickens, about 15 minutes. Add freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste.
- to serve
- Place one grit cake on the serving dish and top with about 1/4 cup of the mushroom mixture. Garnish with basil and parsley. For a larger, dinner portion, stack another grit cake on top, and add an additional 1/4 cup of the mushroom mixture for a grit cake and mushroom stack.
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