Germany: Pilze in Sahnesosse / Mushrooms in Creamy Bacon Sauce

Contrary to popular belief, Germany is not a vegetable-free zone.

In fact, unless you find yourself buried in some tiny backwater in the Black Forest or someplace similar, Germany is much kinder to both vegetable-lover and vegetarian than a lot of other places. It will be rare to find a menu that doesn't have at least a few vegetarian or at least mostly-vegetable options on it, often far more creative than you might expect. But leaving aside for the moment the issue of vegetarianism per se, Germans really do like vegetables ¹ -- especially seasonal ones that are in their prime. And mushrooms (all right, not as true veggies, but at least as fungi) turn up as stars in many entreés, especially in dishes meant to be served in the autumn, when the good little creatures are coming up all over in the woods (and the supermarkets).

This recipe calls for the mushrooms to be sautéed with onions in bacon fat (the bacon is added later). The pan is then deglazed with white wine, and various spices are added, one of them being paprika (which instantly suggests that this recipe probably sneaked over the border from Hungary, possibly via the Czech Republic). Finally the cream and bacon go in. The result is substantial, surprisingly elegant, and yummy.

This is definitely a recipe for a high-end Hobbit menu: an entrée for anyone who doesn't want their mushrooms upstaged by overly large amounts of meat.

Click on "read more" for the full recipe.

To make the pilze in sahnesoße:

• 2 lb fresh mushrooms, domesticated or a mixture of wild types to taste

• 1/4 pound bacon, diced
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine
• 2 large onions, diced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 cup (or more if needed to deglaze) white wine, preferably a medium or medium-dry one
• A pinch of nutmeg
• A pinch of mace
• 1 cup heavy cream
• The juice of half a medium-sized lemon, strained
• 2 sprigs of fresh parsley

Clean the mushrooms with a soft brush or dry cloth. (Never wash mushrooms.) If they're big, cut them in half.

Fry the bacon in a wok or large pan until lightly browned. Remove the bacon from the pan and set it aside.

Add the butter to the pan drippings. Add the onions; sauté until lightly browned.

Add the mushrooms; cook them until they're tender, stirring often.

When they're tender, raise the heat slightly and stir in the wine, salt, pepper, paprika, nutmeg, and mace. Cover the pan and cook over low heat for 15
minutes.

Remove from the heat. Add the cooked bacon, cream and lemon juice. Reheat until just warm. Do NOT let this mixture boil!!!

Garnish with parsley and serve with noodles or dumplings.

(The side dish served along with the mushrooms here is a Hungarian tarhonya: if you follow the link, scroll down that page for the full recipe.)

¹ Besides cabbage.

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