Ciulama de Ciuperci
(choo-lah-MAH deh choo-PERCH)
Mămăligă Suppers (Polenta, Pork & Skillets)
Culinary purists back in the old country might argue a true ciulama relies solely on a stark flour-and-butter roux, but the grandmothers knew better. They added sweet onions, a hit of garlic, and a generous dollop of rich dairy, transforming humble ingredients into a luxurious, velvety gravy designed to blanket a steaming bowl of mămăligă. Because standard American sour cream breaks when boiled, this version relies on crème fraîche—a dead-simple swap that perfectly mimics the unctuous, unbreakable finish of traditional Romanian smântână.
Before you start
Steep the dried mushrooms.
Before starting to cook, pour 1/2 cup of boiling water over the dried porcini mushrooms. Let them steep for 15 minutes, then strain, saving every drop of that dark, earthy liquid for the sauce.
Ingredients
- dried porcini mushrooms1/2 oz
- cremini mushrooms1 1/2 lb
- neutral oil2 tbsp
- unsalted butter3 tbsp
- yellow onion1 med
- garlic3 small cloves
- dried summer savory or thyme1 tsp
- all-purpose flour3 tbsp
- chicken broth1 cup
- crème fraîche1/2 cup
- fresh dill1/4 cup
- kosher salt and black pepperto taste
- fresh parsley2 tbsp
Method
- 01
Sear the mushrooms for depth.
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil and 1 tablespoon of butter in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sliced cremini mushrooms in a single layer and leave them alone for a few minutes to develop a deep, golden-brown sear, then remove them to a plate.
- 02
Soften the aromatics.
Lower the heat to medium-low, add the remaining oil, and gently sauté the onion with a pinch of salt until translucent. Stir in the minced garlic and dried savory, cooking just until fragrant.
- 03
Build the roux.
Push the onions aside and melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in the center of the pan. Sprinkle the flour over the fat and stir continuously for two minutes to cook out the raw starch without letting it brown.
- 04
Hydrate and simmer the gravy.
Gradually whisk in the warm chicken broth and the reserved porcini soaking liquid to prevent lumps from forming. Return the seared creminis and the chopped porcinis to the pan, and simmer gently for 10 minutes until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
- 05
Finish with cream and herbs off the heat.
Remove the skillet entirely from the heat so the dairy doesn't split. Stir in the crème fraîche and fresh dill, then season aggressively with salt and heavy black pepper before serving hot over mămăligă.
Notes
The Sour Cream Hack.
If you can't find crème fraîche, standard American sour cream will work, but it requires tempering. Take the pan off the heat entirely, whisk a few spoonfuls of the hot gravy into the sour cream in a separate bowl, then fold it back into the pot.
The Porcini Trick.
Fresh Carpathian wild mushrooms are the gold standard, but rehydrating a small handful of dried porcinis and utilizing their soaking liquid elevates cheap supermarket creminis into something profound.
From Cook Romanian in America.