Manitaria Stifado
Μανιτάρια Στιφάδο·(ma-nee-TAH-rya stee-FAH-tho)
Nistisima (The Fasting Table)
There is a smell that tells a Greek kid they're home: cinnamon, cloves, and allspice hitting hot olive oil, soon followed by the hiss of red wine and caramelizing onions. That is the smell of stifado. Traditionally built on beef or rabbit, this mushroom version was born of the Orthodox fasting calendar, but it is a masterpiece of peasant ingenuity on its own merits. The secret to pulling it off on a Tuesday night without shedding tears is high-quality frozen pearl onions. Just don't boil them. Fry them hard in the oil to unlock their candy-like sweetness, let the dried porcini do the heavy lifting for the umami, and serve it with enough crusty bread to mop up that incredible, spiced ruby-red oil.
Before you start
Make the spice pouch.
Tie the whole cloves and allspice berries in a small piece of cheesecloth, or place them in a tea infuser, so the deep aromatic oils steep into the stew without anyone accidentally biting into a whole clove.
Ingredients
- dried porcini mushrooms1 oz
- frozen pearl onions1 1/2 lb
- cremini mushrooms1 lb
- oyster mushrooms1/2 lb
- garlic3 med
- extra virgin olive oil1/2 cup
- double concentrated tomato paste2 tbsp
- dry red wine1 cup
- strong red wine vinegar1 tbsp
- crushed tomatoes14 1/2 oz
- sugar1 tsp
- vegetable broth1 cup
- kosher salt1 tsp
- black pepper1/4 tsp
- cinnamon stick1 med
- whole cloves4 med
- whole allspice berries5 med
- dried bay leaves2 med
Method
- 01
Rehydrate the porcini.
Place the dried porcini mushrooms in a small bowl and cover them with 1 cup of boiling water, letting them steep for 20 minutes. Remove the mushrooms with a fork and roughly chop them, carefully straining and reserving the dark soaking liquid to catch any grit.
- 02
Caramelize the onions.
In a wide, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil over medium-high heat. Sauté the thoroughly dried pearl onions, stirring occasionally, until they are blistered and golden-brown on the edges (about 8 to 10 minutes). Remove the onions to a plate with a slotted spoon, leaving the infused oil in the pot.
- 03
Sear the fresh mushrooms.
Add the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil to the hot pot. Toss in the fresh cremini and oyster mushrooms along with the smashed garlic cloves, letting them sit undisturbed for a minute to get some color. Stir and cook for another 5 to 7 minutes until they release their water and begin to brown, then stir in the chopped porcini.
- 04
Fry the tomato paste.
Push the mushrooms to the edges of the pot to create a clearing in the center. Drop in the tomato paste and fry it in the oil for about 60 seconds, stirring constantly until it darkens and smells deeply savory, then stir it into the mushrooms.
- 05
Deglaze the pot.
Pour in the red wine and the red wine vinegar. Let the liquid bubble furiously for 2 to 3 minutes until the harsh smell of alcohol cooks off and the liquid reduces by half.
- 06
Build the braise.
Return the caramelized pearl onions to the pot. Add the crushed tomatoes, the reserved porcini liquid, sugar, salt, and pepper. Submerge the cinnamon stick, bay leaves, and the spice pouch. If the vegetables aren't mostly covered, add up to 1 cup of vegetable broth.
- 07
Simmer and meld.
Bring the pot to a gentle boil, then immediately drop the heat to low. Cover the pot with the lid slightly cracked and let it simmer for 35 to 45 minutes, until the onions are meltingly tender and the sauce has reduced to a thick, jammy consistency.
- 08
Rest before serving.
Remove the pot from the heat and fish out the cinnamon stick, bay leaves, and spice pouch. Taste and adjust the salt if necessary, then let the stew sit for 10 minutes off the heat—like all Greek oil-based dishes, it tastes better warm than boiling hot.
Notes
The onion conundrum.
Authentic recipes demand fresh small onions peeled by hand. Frozen pearl onions are a sanctioned weeknight substitution that preserves your sanity, but you must ensure they are completely thawed and patted dry with a paper towel. Excess ice will cause them to steam rather than caramelize in the olive oil.
The wine upgrade.
If you live near a specialty market, source a bottle of Greek Mavrodaphne wine. It is a sweet, fortified wine similar to Port that gives stifado a signature sticky-sweet depth. If you use it, swap half the dry red wine for Mavrodaphne and omit the added teaspoon of sugar.
From Cook Greek in America.