Mushrooms with Roquefort and Banyuls (southwest France)

[Marina Chang]

Mushrooms with Roquefort and Banyuls (southwest France)

Serves 4.

Recipe from Tastes of the Pyrenees, Classic and Modern by Marina Chang (Hippocrene Books, February 2003. $24.95 hardcover). Thanks to the author and publishers for sharing this with us.

This recipe employs Banyuls, a vin doux naturel from the Côte Vermeille, in the portion of Languedoc-Rousillon just north of the Spanish border on the Mediterranean. In making this sweet wine, grape brandy is added to the partly fermented grapes, which increases the alcohol content and stops fermentation to preserve part of the natural fruit sugar. Banyuls is aged in wooden vats, and the final product is a wonderful mélange of roasted nut and subtle fruit flavors such as cherries, figs, blackberries, and peaches. The Grenache and other grapes that comprise Banyuls are grown on lovely steep hills above the rocky bays of blue sea and beaches of this Catalan coast. The Celliers des Templiers in picturesque Banyuls-sur-Mer offers tours that allow visitors to sample many different versions of this distinctive beverage. The nearby fishing village of Collioure is the jewel of the Côte Vermeille, and for centuries has impressed travelers and artists with its simple beauty. This dish features the tasty marriage of the incomparable sweet Banyuls wine and a powerful cheese in a perfect balancing act

• 4 small, individual-size, round, French bread rolls
  
• 2 T butter (or olive oil)
  
• 1 pound mushrooms, coarsely chopped
  
• Salt and pepper
  
• 1/2 c sweet Banyuls or port wine
  
• 1/3 c plus 1 heaped tablespoon crumbled Roquefort cheese
  
• 3/4 c cream or half-and-half
  

Preheat oven to 350º F. Prepare the individual bread loaves by cutting the top off each roll, creating a 2 to 3-inch hole at the top. Make a bowl by partially hollowing out the center of each roll (excess bread can be saved and dried for bread crumbs). Do not make walls or bottoms of bread bowls too thin or they will melt through when hot filling is added. Place rolls on a baking sheet and toast in oven for 10 to 15 minutes.

Melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, sautéing for several minutes, until well cooked. Sprinkle in salt and pepper to taste. Stir in Banyuls or port wine. As liquid begins to bubble, add the Roquefort cheese and cream. Reduce heat to bring sauce to a simmer. Continue stirring to help melt all the cheese.

Spoon mushrooms and sauce into each roll, dividing evenly. If desired, place bread tops back on each roll and serve.

Superb fall or spring dish, alongside game or any roast meat.

Toasted walnuts can be added into the mixture or used as a garnish.

Keywords: French

( RG345 )