Spaghetti With Mushrooms

I love mushrooms and the Asian grocery stores have lots of variety these days. I bought fresh shiitake, pearl oysters, something called bunapi, and white button. They are very good simply steamed in a banana leaf pocket and served with a sprinkle of sea salt and squirt of lemon, or sauteed in olive oil and served with steaks or baked chicken. I found a simple pasta recipe featuring mixed mushrooms. The only additional flavoring to the pasta dish is crispy fried prosciutto and chicken broth which I substituted with vegetable broth. I want the mushrooms to shine and I thought the chicken broth might overpower it. I love this simple yet packed with flavor pasta dish. 

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Egg and Mushrooms In A Cup

This is my version of oeufs en cocotte, the soft, creamy, and delicious eggs baked or poached in small pots or ramekins called cocottes. I don't have those mini cast iron or ceramic pots so I cooked the eggs in my small glass coffee cups because my ramekins are presently occupied. The coffee cups are a bit tall which I found out is better because they hold more yummy sauteed mushrooms. I also didn't bake them as it's easier and faster to poach them in a saucepan directly on the stove and there is no need to heat up the oven.

There are many versions of this egg dish. Some have bacon, cream, and/or cheese and some recipes don't have anything but 2 eggs in a buttered ramekin, but you can use whatever fancies you. I prefer the eggs with button mushrooms simply sauteed in extra virgin olive oil with shallots and seasoned with sea salt and a little minced parsley. The cooked mushrooms are layered alternately with a spoonful of crème fraîche before topping with an egg and poaching in gently simmering water. I love it with slightly sweet toasted brioche fingers which you can use to poke the egg to reveal the pretty runny yolk. I don't mind having this often for breakfast, brunch, and yes, for dinner too.

Oeufs en Cocotte
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil or butter
2 large shallots, sliced
20 pieces button mushrooms, sliced
1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
a pinch of ground white pepper
2 teaspoons minced flat-leaf parsley
crème fraîche
4 eggs
sea salt

• In a skillet, heat oil or butter and saute shallots and mushrooms over high heat until mushrooms are golden. Turn off heat and stir in salt, pepper, and 1 teaspoon parsley.
• Divide mixture into 8 portions. Spoon one portion on the bottom of a ramekin, add a tablespoon of cream, repeat one more time. Crack one egg on top of each filled ramekin and sprinkle with a little sea salt.
• Bake in a bain marie in a preheated 350°F oven until the tops are set but yolks are still runny, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining parsley. Serve with croutons or toasted brioche fingers.

so simple to make yet so satisfying

To make homemade crème fraîche: In a small jar, stir 1 tablespoon buttermilk into 1 cup heavy cream. Cover the jar and leave on the kitchen counter for 24 hours or until the mixture has set. Refrigerate immediately. This will keep for 2 weeks in the refrigerator. This is very good as topping for baked potatoes or sweet potatoes.