Mushroom Bourguignon

By Melissa Clark

Mushroom Bourguignon
David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
1 hour
Rating
4(11,552)
Notes
Read community notes

Meaty mushrooms simmered with pearl onions, wine and carrots make for a rich, wintry Bourguignon-style stew. The quality of the stock here makes a big difference, so if you’re not using homemade, buy a good brand. If you’re a meat eater, beef broth adds a familiar brawny character to this dish, but mushroom or vegetable broth work just well, especially because the whole dish is rounded out with a tamari for depth. For the best flavor, use as many kinds of mushrooms as you can get, and let them really brown when searing; that caramelization adds a lot of depth to the sauce. Maitake mushrooms give this a brisketlike texture, in a very good way.

Featured in: The Meat-Lover’s Guide to Eating Less Meat

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings
  • 6tablespoons butter or extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
  • 2pounds mixed mushrooms, such as portobello, cremini, white button, shiitake or oyster, cut into 1-inch chunks (about 10 cups)
  • 8ounces peeled pearl onions (2 cups), larger ones cut in half
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1large leek or 2 small leeks, white and light green parts, diced (1½ cups)
  • 2carrots, thinly sliced
  • 3garlic cloves (2 minced, 1 grated to a paste)
  • 1tablespoon tomato paste
  • 2½tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1½cups dry red wine
  • 1½cups beef, mushroom or vegetable broth
  • 1tablespoon tamari or soy sauce, plus more to taste
  • 3large fresh thyme branches or ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1bay leaf
  • 3 to 4ounces chanterelle or oyster mushrooms, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
  • Smoked paprika, for serving
  • Polenta, egg noodles or mashed potatoes, for serving
  • Chopped flat-leaf parsley, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

284 calories; 15 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 10 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 26 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams dietary fiber; 8 grams sugars; 6 grams protein; 891 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Add 2 tablespoons butter or oil to a large Dutch oven or pot and set it over medium heat. When the fat is hot, stir in half the mushrooms and half the pearl onions. (If it doesn’t all fit in the pot in one layer, you might have to do this in three batches, rather than two.) Without moving them around too much, cook the mushrooms until they are brown on one side, about 3 minutes. Stir and let them brown on the other side, 2 to 3 minutes more. Use a slotted spoon to transfer mushrooms and onions to a large bowl or plate and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Repeat with another 2 tablespoons butter and the remaining mushrooms and pearl onions, seasoning them as you go.

  2. Step 2

    Reduce heat to medium-low. Add another 1 tablespoon butter or oil to pan. Add leeks and carrot and sauté until the leeks turn lightly golden and start to soften, 5 minutes. Add the 2 minced garlic cloves and sauté for 1 minute longer. Stir in tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Stir in flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute, then add wine, broth, 1 tablespoon tamari, thyme and bay leaf, scraping up the brown bits at bottom of pot.

  3. Step 3

    Add reserved cooked mushrooms and pearl onions back to the pot and bring to a simmer. Partly cover the pot and simmer on low heat until carrots and onions are tender and sauce is thick, 30 to 40 minutes. Taste and add more salt and tamari if needed. Stir in the grated garlic clove.

  4. Step 4

    Just before serving, heat a small skillet over high heat and add ½ tablespoon butter or oil. Add half of the sliced chanterelles or oyster mushrooms and let cook without moving until they are crisp and brown on one side, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip and cook on the other side. Transfer to a plate and sprinkle with salt and smoked paprika. Repeat with remaining butter and mushrooms. Serve mushroom Bourguignon over polenta, noodles or mashed potatoes, topped with fried mushrooms and parsley.

Ratings

4 out of 5
11,552 user ratings
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Cooking Notes

Woodgal

I don't know how to cook with wine and I would really like to make this. Can anyone suggest what kind of red wine would work well with this?

Randy

Dried mushrooms work well. One ounce will replace 8 ounces of fresh. Reconstitute by soaking in boiling water for 30 minutes. Lift the mushroom pieces out of the liquid and cut as needed. Let the liquid stand for a few minutes to let any grit settle, then pour off the clear liquid and use it as part of the broth in the recipe. Discard the murky remains. Many varieties of dried mushrooms are available in supermarkets and stores like Trader Joe's, Aldi and Sprouts & online through Amazon.

Stephen Lamade

Woodgal, Tasting helps, but in general "dry" red wines are those that are not considered fruity. In an article about using wine for cooking, Bon Apetit lists several dry wines. The maxim that "If I wouldn't drink it, then I wouldn't cook with it" always holds true. https://www.bonappetit.com/test-kitchen/cooking-tips/article/red-wine-for-cooking My penchant is to use an inexpensive table wine, like Rene Junot, or an inexpensive Southern Rhone. And don't be afraid to sip while you cook.

Michael B

I roasted the mushrooms for 20 minutes in a 450 degree oven with some EVOO, S&P and thyme first. Then followed everything up to step 3, added the mushrooms and onions back in, covered the Dutch oven and let it chill out in a 350 degree oven for one hour. Worked like a charm, concentrated the flavors, with less stove time.

Kara

Made as directed using high quality basics (beef broth, butter, etc.). It was amazing. Once off the heat, I stirred in two tablespoons of good red wine vinegar. It was even better.

Truitt Jeter

Don’t be afraid of the thyme it takes :D Seriously use more fresh thyme.

Carol morris

Ducking my head for the onslaught: I don’t ever wash mushrooms, just brush off the worst of the growing medium should there be any. I’ve never had any taste or grit repercussions. I’ve always read that getting them wet makes them soggy.

Quesada Cook

Great recipe, true Bourgogne flavor. Our entire family loved it. Used frozen pearl onions to speed things up, tossed them in a few minutes before the mushrooms in each batch to thaw before browning. The recipe correctly mentions slicing the carrots thin - thin like <1/8 inch if you don’t want them still crunchy after 30-40 mins. We needed more broth and wine to maintain the sauce during summer. Looking forward to making this one again!

R DeJarnett

Beef bouguignon is traditionally made with Burgundy, but I have used Pinot noir as it is easier to get where I live and what I will use for this recipe. The rule of thumb is to use a wine that you would drink, not something designated just for "cooking."

Stephen Lamade

Looks wonderful. One could substitute small whole shallots, larger ones cut in half, if pearl onions were not available.

sandy

Delicious! Makes mass quantities, serves closer to 6 than 4! Served with polenta.

phalgal

I'm going to use frozen pearl onions, they're already peeled. And pre-sliced mushrooms are already cleaned. Those 2 things along will knock most of the prep time off.

Cassidy

We loved the recipe as-is. I used 1/2 cremini, 1/4 shiitake and 1/4 portabella. I made polenta, would have rather used potatoes in hindsight. The mushroom garnish was not all that impressive for the work/cost. I could have used more carrots. I used the blanching method to peel the pearl onions. I’d love hear what others did to wash that many mushrooms. I used my salad spinner and couple changes of water, which I know is not the “right way”, but was much quicker than individually dry cleaning

Welsh Hills

Mushrooms browned much better without the onions. I used a combination of cippolini and sweet yellow onions—just what I had on hand. Used leeks from my garden, which I had in the freezer. Used Chianti as the wine. Served over homemade polenta. It all took much longer than the recipe stated. It was 45 minutes by the time the recipe said “lower temperature and cook 30-40 minutes until the sauce thickens.” All together, at least 90 minutes to get this meal on the table.

Amy

Melissa! This sounds delightful. Do you have a recommended substitute for the red wine? A few in the family do not consume. Would a vinegar work? Omit? Can’t wait to try it.

Ferrer

814 readers want to know what kind of wine to use. If you drink red wine use what you have. Don't ever use anything you wouldn't enjoy drinking but no use in using amazing/expensive wine unless you have an unlimited budget. The better the wine, the better the flavor it will add to your dish. For me a $15-20 Cabernet Sauvignon will do if I have one on hand. We drink Rioja a lot so that's what I will use tonight. Cheers!

Suzanna

Incredible meal. One of my husband's and my absolute favorites. We always eat it with polenta, which you can make richer with milk and cheese (we like fresh-grated parmesan) if desired. We served most recently with side of fennel, grapefruit, spinach, butter lettuce, and avocado salad.

Arlene

This is a wonderful vegetarian alternative to beef bourguignon. I highly recommend it as a meal.

Laura

I didn’t have broth on hand, so I simmered the scraps from all my veg prep — mushroom stems, onion and garlic skins, carrot peels, leeks — in water as I went. By the time the recipe called for it, I had a deeply flavored (and free!) broth to add.

Ellen

Excellent . Use potato starch instead of flour and it’s perfect for Passover

Teri

I made this with shallots, half red wine and half dry vermouth, and a combination of maitake, shiitake, and white mushrooms. I skipped the oyster/chanterelle topping, but I added smoked paprika to my potatoes. It was delicious! It tasted just like a beef dish, without the meat.

cyrh

Mine turned out too salty (and I love salt, so that’s saying something). Just be aware, to salt the cooked shrooms lightly after taking them out of the pan. Also, I found it easier to cook the pearl onions as a separate batch, not with the mushrooms. Cooking times differed. Very yummy recipe. I highly recommend pulling this one out when vegans are at the table. Just use vegan butter & veg broth.

Disappointed Julia

Save your time and money. Go out to eat. I used fresh and some exotic mushrooms. Good beef broth and Pinot. And, yes, I can cook. Sadly, after a pretty penny spent on the dish, and after following instructions, it was lacking in that rich, depth of flavor that comes from the mushrooms, carrots and onions absorbing the reduced wine flavor. Luckily we opened a nice 2013 Petite Verdot to savor after leaving half of the Bourguignon on our plates. Chocolate will make me feel better later.

LFT

I simplified the cooking process by cooking all if the mushrooms in a Dutch oven simultaneously on a high heat and got the same results. This is a delicious recipe and will definitely make it a regular.

Linda Flo

This was delicious! I used a mixture of mushrooms, one of which was shitaki. I would recommend cutting off them stems for those since they are pretty tough. I loved this recipe and would absolutely make again!

RichMSeattle

Eventually a great recipe. Used full amount of a mix of mushrooms as suggested. Took forever to stem and chop all the mushrooms. As another reviewer commented getting already sliced mushrooms would have saved time. Had to take four courses to brown a batch then start over at least three more times. This was before getting to the other ingredients. Great flavors with red wine, beef stock and soy, tomato paste. Used dry thyme because that was on hand. Start early on this one.

TS

I wish this had some protein. I am thinking of maybe reducing the mixed mushrooms by half and subbing in a cup of TVP (rehydrated). Would that work? At what stage would you recommend adding the TVP?

Sloan

Made this as the main entree for Christmas dinner for my ma and I. She is vegetarian, I am in love with anything with mushrooms, so needless to say, it was enjoyed by all<3 The mushrooms were wonderfully meaty, I used a variety of 5 different types which made the layers of textures exhilarating.

Elizabeth Thomas

Lovely recipe. I used all shittakes because we love them. The soy sauce is a helpful addition. I used tart red cherry juice in place of the wine( we’re currently “ dry”). Not a bad substitution with all the other flavors.

Katherine

This is fantastic exactly as written and is elegant enough to serve at a dinner party. I served it with a potato-butternut squash mash.

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