Up until now, I always bought my mushroom stock.  Why?  I thought that it was too expensive to make on my own.  While I happily oblige when making chicken stock and enjoy going out to get a whole chicken, I was adament in my mind that mushroom stock would be more expensive to make.  Hmmm…I was a little wrong about that=)

I purchased a pound of mushrooms for my husband to use in a famous Tom Ka soup of his, but then life caught up with us and neither of us ever got around to using them.  Then it hit me: “Now’s my chance to make stock!”  So, I happily got on my way to making what ended up being the most flavorful, rich mushroom stock I had ever had, far better than store bought, bland stock, and not only that-but I discovered that I could keep this stock in my fridge or freezer and use it for an array of different dishes.  Also, never had I noticed before until this stock-trial that the mushroom stock I was buying at the store had carrageenan in it!  After making my own I have decided I will never go back to the unnecessary purchase of mushroom stock filled with unnecessary ingredients.  Here’s my recipe:

Lynsie’s Delicious Mushroom Stock

1 pound mushrooms, cleaned and chopped (go neutral with button mushrooms, or go crazy with shiitake, cremini, etc)  If you prefer, you can leave the mushrooms whole, but chopping them roughly now allows you to use your mushrooms in other dishes later.

1 gallon water (adding more at the end if you find your stock to be “too rich”)

1 small yellow onion, roughly chopped

3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

1 sprig rosemary, fresh please*

5 sprigs thyme*

*for these herbs, it’s up to you whether you wish to strip the stems and chop or not.  If you leave the leaves (I’m so punny) on the stems, especially as it concerns the thyme, the leaves will eventually fall off in the stock.

Process:

1. Add some butter or olive oil to a stock pot and begin to heat over low heat.

2. Throw in onions and garlic and begin to cook to translucency.

3. Add mushrooms and herbs and cook til mushrooms begin to absorb butter and soften.  Also add salt and pepper to taste.  Remember you can always add more at the end of cooking.

4. Add water and bring stock to a boil.  Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and simmer anywhere from 30 minutes to 1 hour depending on how much time you’ve got!  Longer is better, but not necessary by any means.

5. In your sink, place a clean large bowl or similar-sized stock pot.  Set a large strainer inside the pot, and carefully pour your freshly-made stock through the strainer into the pot beneath.  With the back of a large spoon or spatula, press lightly on remaining ingredients in strainer to extract as much flavor as possible into the stock.

6. Allow stock to cool and taste.  If too rich, add more water.  Add more salt/pepper if desired.  Pour into storage containers or ziploc bags, label, and refrigerate or freeze.

7. Reserve mushrooms, onions, garlic, etc and store them in a separate container.

Now you can proceed with any recipe desired to make a mushroom-inspired dish.  Here are a few suggestions:

Mushroom Risotto

Heat 1 1/2 cups cream, milk, or a mixture of the two.

Add 1 cup arborio rice (risotto prior to cooking) and stir until rice starts to absorb liquid.

While this is happening, heat 5 cups mushroom stock in a separate pot on the stove, and every time rice absorbs liquid, add 1 more cup of stock until rice is al dente and stock is gone!  If you need more liquid, adding more stock or even water is just fine!

To finish, add some of your cooked mushroom mixture, sprinkle parmesan or asiago on top and serve immediately.

Shepard’s Pie

Prepare your favorite Shepard’s Pie and for liquid use your mushroom stock.  Add your cooked mushroom mixture in with your other veggies and chicken.

Braise beef, chicken or pork in equal parts stock and water, garnish with mushroom mixture.

Beef Stroganoff

Heat 1 cup milk, 1 cup sour cream, and 2-4 cups mushroom stock (depending on desired thickness) with a spoonful of dijon mustard.  Add mushroom mixture, heat and pour over cooked egg noodles.  YUMMY!  If desired, you can also add browned ground beef or strips of steak.