K.G.
32 Cal
The last discussion on this was in May or March, but there was no after-action report so I thought I'd share my own. Like others, I first ran across this through the excellent Townsends channel on YouTube. My general recipe and process followed his.
I started with typical store-bought button mushrooms. I did use sliced, not whole, and this was my mistake. Sliced mushrooms have much less moisture and should be avoided if you're planning on a large batch. Thankfully, this was just a test batch and the smaller amount of liquid wasn't an issue.
I crushed the mushrooms (approx. 1 pound) by hand into a large bowl. Salted generously, covering the top, mixing it in, then repeating a twice more. This would have the result of being a bit too salty - I would probably reduce salt next time to maybe two times instead of three. I covered the bowl and left it for about 10-12 hours overnight.
In the morning, I transferred the mushrooms to a pot and got it to a simmer. Spices were added: a generous amount of black pepper, cloves, allspice, and red pepper flakes. The salt definitely requires more spice than you might think to balance things out. I reduced, tasting as I went along until it was still liquid but much more flavorful. I took it off the heat once I was satisfied with taste. I wouldn't bother with timing yourself since every stove/fire/batch is different and just go with your senses.
I strained the mushrooms. I had to adapt and use a metal strainer but would highly recommend a cloth. The mushrooms give far more liquid than you might imagine and being able to squeeze and wrong the bag would have been much easier. I set the mushrooms aside on a pan.
(I would begin drying these immediately next time as I work on the ketchup. As I said, the mushrooms are more moist than you'd imagine. Drying at approx. 200 fahrenheit took a good while, maybe half an hour or more, and you'll want to get a jump on that.)
The sauce cooled a bit before going into a container. I have used it for meats, a substitute au jus for dipping, and other general uses - very good. The spices need to be dialed in but even a blind try at it produces a fine enough sauce.
The mushrooms took a bit to crush after drying. I also gave some of them a rough chop and dice very finely to get some varied texture. I was very satisfied with the results - I sprinkled them over vegetables, some meat, Alfredo pasta, and even some pizza. The spices were far more apparent in the mushrooms themselves. Last night I had some pork chops and lightly sprinkled each piece as I ate and it was fantastic. Definitely going into my bag next camping trip.
So, this was my first try and a very rough description of my experience trying to replicate Townsends' but I'm eager to take another whack at it. Has anyone else given it a go? Did you like it?
I started with typical store-bought button mushrooms. I did use sliced, not whole, and this was my mistake. Sliced mushrooms have much less moisture and should be avoided if you're planning on a large batch. Thankfully, this was just a test batch and the smaller amount of liquid wasn't an issue.
I crushed the mushrooms (approx. 1 pound) by hand into a large bowl. Salted generously, covering the top, mixing it in, then repeating a twice more. This would have the result of being a bit too salty - I would probably reduce salt next time to maybe two times instead of three. I covered the bowl and left it for about 10-12 hours overnight.
In the morning, I transferred the mushrooms to a pot and got it to a simmer. Spices were added: a generous amount of black pepper, cloves, allspice, and red pepper flakes. The salt definitely requires more spice than you might think to balance things out. I reduced, tasting as I went along until it was still liquid but much more flavorful. I took it off the heat once I was satisfied with taste. I wouldn't bother with timing yourself since every stove/fire/batch is different and just go with your senses.
I strained the mushrooms. I had to adapt and use a metal strainer but would highly recommend a cloth. The mushrooms give far more liquid than you might imagine and being able to squeeze and wrong the bag would have been much easier. I set the mushrooms aside on a pan.
(I would begin drying these immediately next time as I work on the ketchup. As I said, the mushrooms are more moist than you'd imagine. Drying at approx. 200 fahrenheit took a good while, maybe half an hour or more, and you'll want to get a jump on that.)
The sauce cooled a bit before going into a container. I have used it for meats, a substitute au jus for dipping, and other general uses - very good. The spices need to be dialed in but even a blind try at it produces a fine enough sauce.
The mushrooms took a bit to crush after drying. I also gave some of them a rough chop and dice very finely to get some varied texture. I was very satisfied with the results - I sprinkled them over vegetables, some meat, Alfredo pasta, and even some pizza. The spices were far more apparent in the mushrooms themselves. Last night I had some pork chops and lightly sprinkled each piece as I ate and it was fantastic. Definitely going into my bag next camping trip.
So, this was my first try and a very rough description of my experience trying to replicate Townsends' but I'm eager to take another whack at it. Has anyone else given it a go? Did you like it?
