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Mushroom Bourguignon over Mashed Potatoes

Mushroom Bourguignon over Mashed Potatoes reads umami 5.7, richness 5.0 and allium 4.1 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a French main, about 1 hr 40 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 5.7 · Richness 5.0 · Allium 4.1 · Earthy 4.0 · Salinity 3.9 · Sourness 3.4 · Fruity 3.3 · Sweetness 3.2 · Funk & Ferment 2.7 · Floral 2.1 · Bitterness 1.5 · Herbaceous 1.5 · Warm Spice 1.2 · Nutty 1.1 · Citrus 0.5

What's in it (17)

Time & effort: about 1 hr 40 min (1 hr 25 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 61.1 kcal, 2.6 g protein, 1.8 g fat, 9.6 g carbs

Dietary: Vegetarian · Contains dairy — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (10 steps)

  1. Put the dried porcini in a small heatproof bowl and cover with 1 cup boiling water. Let steep until softened, about 15 minutes, then lift out the mushrooms, roughly chop them, and strain the soaking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl to catch any grit; reserve both.
  2. Heat 1 tablespoon each of the butter and olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in two batches so you don't crowd the pot, sear the cremini mushrooms until deeply golden-brown and any liquid they release has cooked off, 7-8 minutes per batch; transfer to a plate.
  3. Add 2 tablespoons of the remaining butter and the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pot with the onion and carrots; cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly golden at the edges, 7-8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
  4. Stir in the tomato paste and flour and cook, stirring constantly, until the paste darkens slightly and the raw flour smell is gone, about 2 minutes.
  5. Pour in the red wine and the reserved porcini soaking liquid, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot; bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, until reduced by about a third, 5-6 minutes.
  6. Return the seared mushrooms and chopped porcini to the pot along with the vegetable broth, pearl onions, thyme, and the salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon and the vegetables are tender, 35-40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  7. While the stew simmers, bring a separate pot of well-salted water to a boil, add the potatoes, and cook until a knife slides in with no resistance, 15-18 minutes; drain well.
  8. Return the drained potatoes to the dry pot and mash with the warm milk and the remaining 2 tablespoons butter until smooth; season with salt to taste.
  9. Uncover the stew, discard the thyme sprigs, and taste; adjust the salt and pepper as needed.
  10. Spoon the mashed potatoes into shallow bowls and ladle the mushroom bourguignon generously over the top, letting the sauce pool into the potatoes.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.