Sherry-Glazed Cast-Iron Steakhouse Mushrooms
Chapter 3: Steakhouse Sides
If you have ever sat in the wood-paneled dining room of Keens or Peter Luger, you know that the sides are not mere afterthoughts—they are the architectural pillars of a high-cholesterol pleasure temple. You do not come to a classic American steakhouse to eat a light salad. You are here for the rhythm of excess. These mushrooms are engineered to stand up to a massive dry-aged porterhouse. They are aggressively seared in screaming-hot cast iron to develop a deep crust, then drowned in dry sherry, beef stock, Worcestershire, and an unapologetic amount of butter. Do not wash your mushrooms, do not crowd the pan, and whatever you do, do not flinch at the butter.
Before you start
Wipe the mushrooms dry.
Mushrooms are highly porous sponges; never run them under water or they will absorb the liquid and steam in the pan rather than browning.
Ingredients
- Cremini mushrooms1 1/2 lb
- neutral oil2 tbsp
- unsalted butter5 tbsp
- shallot1 large
- cloves garlic4 large
- fresh thyme4 sprig
- dry sherry1/2 cup
- beef stock1/4 cup
- Worcestershire sauce1 tbsp
- kosher salt1 tsp
- black pepper1 tsp
- fresh flat-leaf parsley1/4 cup
Method
- 01
Sear the mushrooms in a screaming-hot cast-iron skillet completely undisturbed.
Place a 12-inch heavy cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat for at least three minutes. Add the neutral oil, wait for the immediate shimmer, and lay down the mushrooms in a single layer. Step away. Do not stir, do not shake, and do not salt them yet. Let them sear undisturbed for four to five minutes to trigger the Maillard reaction and build a serious, golden-brown crust.
- 02
Sweat the aromatics in a pool of butter.
Toss the mushrooms once to flip, then push them to the perimeter of the skillet. Drop two tablespoons of butter into the center. As it foams, add the diced shallot, smashed garlic cloves, and thyme sprigs, sautéing for two to three minutes until the shallots are translucent and deeply fragrant.
- 03
Deglaze the skillet with the dry sherry.
Season everything aggressively with the kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Pour in the dry sherry—stand back if you are cooking over a gas flame—and use a wooden spoon to scrape up every bit of dark fond from the bottom of the pan.
- 04
Build the umami bath with beef stock and Worcestershire.
Add the stock and Worcestershire sauce, bringing the liquid to a hard simmer. Let it cook for four to six minutes, stirring occasionally, until the liquid reduces by at least half and turns thick and syrupy.
- 05
Mount the sauce with cold butter.
Remove the skillet entirely from the heat. Drop in the remaining three tablespoons of cold, cubed butter and swirl the pan continuously until the butter melts and emulsifies into a dark, glossy, incredibly rich glaze that clings to every mushroom.
- 06
Garnish and serve immediately.
Discard the thyme stems, transfer the mushrooms and every drop of pan sauce to a warmed serving dish, and hit it with a shower of chopped fresh parsley before bringing it to the table.
Notes
Source a drinkable sherry.
Avoid supermarket cooking sherry at all costs, as it is laden with sodium and preservatives; find a drinkable dry Amontillado or Oloroso to provide the essential oxidized fruit notes.
Cast iron is non-negotiable.
A standard aluminum pan will drop in temperature the second a pound and a half of mushrooms hits the surface, causing them to boil in their own extruded juices rather than sear.