Mushroom Sauce

One taste of this creamy mushroom sauce and you’ll be wanting to put it on everything. Beautifully caramelised mushrooms flavouring a savoury creamy sauce, it’s perfect for steaks, chicken, pork chops and schnitzels or fold it through some gnocchi or pasta for a comforting easy dinner.

• So quick and easy to make.
• Flavoured with mushrooms, garlic and shallot.
• Rich, luxurious and mouth-watering.
• Can be made ahead and reheated when needed.
• So versatile.

Shut the front door! From here on out I may be smothering everything I cook in this mushroom sauce because it’s that amazing. It’s rich in umami flavour, is silky, super creamy and tastes so luxurious. Perfect for a dinner party but quick and easy enough for a weeknight, you’ll love this creamy sauce on steak and schnitzels, roast chicken and everything in between. Also, no wine required.

For more mushrooms in creamy sauce, you have to try my slow cooker beef stroganoff.

Detailed quantities and instructions in the recipe card below.

• Butter and oil: A combination of butter and oil adds flavour and helps the mushrooms caramelise. I use unsalted butter but salted is fine, just leave out the extra salt at the end.
• Mushrooms: I love using Swiss brown mushrooms (also known as cremini mushrooms or baby bellas) for this recipe. They have a good firm texture and rich, meaty flavour. Portabello mushrooms are even bolder in flavour (being a Swiss brown that has been given an extra few days growing time). White button mushrooms or champignons are fine in a pinch but they aren’t as flavourful as the other varieties above.
• Shallot: A milder flavoured member of the onion flavour, shallot adds just enough onion flavour without overpowering the sauce.
• Worcestershire sauce: Tangy, rich and umami, Worcestershire sauce is the perfect accompaniment to mushrooms earthy flavour.

Simplicity is best

Flour is often used to make a roux (melt butter, then cook flour into it) which thickens the sauce. By using cream, and reducing it slightly, you just don’t need that extra step or ingredient and you get a silkier finish.

Can this be made vegan/vegetarian?

The cream in this recipe makes it unsuitable for vegans, though you can use a vegan cream substitute. Many Worcestershire sauce brands are vegan while some contain anchovies so just read the label before choosing. Make sure to use vegetable stock instead of chicken too and a vegan butter alternative.

How to make mushroom sauce (step-by-step)

This gorgeous creamy mushroom sauce really hero’s the mushroom flavour and it’s so incredibly easy to make.

Detailed quantities and instructions in the recipe card below.

1. Caramelise the mushrooms: The first and most important step is to caramelise the mushrooms. You’ll saute them, along with some finely chopped shallot, in oil and butter until they’re getting nice and golden. This simple act of caramelising the mushrooms adds phenomenal flavour.
2. Add the garlic: Add garlic and saute that just for a minute.
3. Create the sauce: Now, pour in stock, Worcestershire sauce and cream and give it a good mix. Bring it to a simmer for 2-3 minutes until it’s reduced and slightly thickened. This sauce will continue to thicken once it’s out of the pan and keep in mind it’s a rich creamy sauce so you don’t want to reduce it too far.
4. Season: Add seasoning to taste and give it a good stir.

If you’d like a thicker sauce, you can add a cornflour slurry – that is just ½ teaspoon of cornflour mixed with 2 teaspoons of water. If you add this when the sauce starts simmering, you won’t need to reduce the sauce as much. If you add it after the sauce has reduced, you’ll get a much thicker sauce.  

Variations

Obviously, I think this sauce is perfect just as it is but I always like to give options for you to create something unique too.

• Parmesan cheese: A couple of tablespoons of finely grated parmesan added to the sauce when it comes to a simmer will give you a cheesy flavour and also thicken the sauce without reducing. It will also add seasoning without the need for salt.
• Wine: Many sauce recipes use a little white wine or red wine to deglaze the pan. If you like that little twist, add 1/4 cup after cooking the garlic and let it almost entirely evaporate before adding the remaining sauce ingredients.
• Dijon mustard: Mustard and cream and mushrooms all go beautifully together, so feel free to add up to a teaspoon with the sauce ingredients.
• Herbs: Some fresh thyme leaves or finely chopped fresh parsley adds a nice pop of colour when serving but is not absolutely necessary. You can add a sprig of rosemary to the pan as everything cooks and remove it before serving.

What to serve with mushroom sauce

• Meats: I’ve already used this sauce on steak, schnitzels and roast chicken and each one was fantastic. Most grilled or roast meats, with the exception of seafood, will work great with this sauce. Try it on burgers too – so good!
• Vegetables: Don’t stop at meats, this recipe also works great on veggies, like roasted cauliflower or steamed green beans. Potatoes – roasted, steamed or mashed potatoes – all are taken to a new level with this sauce.
• Other options: Crispy tofu and tempeh are great carriers for this sauce for a meatless option. Also try it over cooked gnocchi or pasta for an indulgent easy dinner.

Yield and storage

This is a rich sauce and the recipe makes enough for about 4 serves which is around 2-2 ½ tablespoons per serve.

Make it ahead

This cream & mushroom sauce can be made ahead of time too. Once made, store it in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. Reheat in a saucepan over medium heat until hot or in the microwave for 30-40 seconds on high. Leftovers can be treated the same way, though you’ll be very lucky to have any.

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• Crispy oven roasted pork belly