500g fresh white mushrooms (lots for 6 people)
3-4 cloves garlic
butter (salted or not)
soya sauce (not lite)
Valpolicella Folinari red wine (or a similar hearty red)
1 glass of wine (standing)
All amount are easily adjustable to suit the amount of guests you are serving.
Clean the mushrooms with a minimum of water. The less the better. Trim the stems to suit, or cut off completely. Slice the mushrooms to approx. 1/4 inch or slightly larger.
Finely chop the garlic.
I like a non-stick fry pan for convenience.
Place a generous amount of butter in a pan, and when the butter starts to sizzle, add the chopped garlic. Give them a second to release their aroma, then add all the mushrooms. Saute, adding more butter as needed , until the mushrooms start to release water. Stir and turn the mushrooms through this process until the water has almost cooked off. At this point the mushrooms are near cooked. Take the standing glass of wine and enjoy a healthy touch of fortification. Add several dashes of soya sauce and stir well.
Then add approx. one ounce of the red wine. Turn the heat down to slow the cooking process so as to prevent the butter from separating. In random order, stir the mushrooms, have a drink of wine and add your own flourishes. The guests appreciate knowing you are going through SO much trouble for them. Taste test the mushrooms and add a little more wine or soya sauce to taste. Do NOT put in too much of either ingredient, because you can always add more if needed. You can’t take it back out.
In a perfect world, the mushrooms will cook down with a thick sauce at the finish. Serve immediately (or keep on LOW heat till needed) with pasta and meat sauce, BBQ ribs, or my favorite, a prime rib steak. Any meal you would serve with a robust red wine would be suitable for this dish. Bear in mind, this is not a subtle taste we talk of, and it may not be for everyone. Those who like it, like it a lot.