Jorge's Mushroom Gratin

When I first made this gratin, I was overwhelmed by how rich and filling it was--but in a good way! A mere seven ounces is easily enough for a meal or a side-dish for two people. The gooey cheese and reduced cream and touch of fennel combine to make an outrageously satisfying comfort dish. Forget macaroni and cheese. This gluten-free, Atkins-friendly pot of lusciousness will be your go-to comfort food on a rainy day with a healthy glass of buttery chardonnay. Yum!

Ingredients

The yellow Wonder Cup is perfect for measuring
and dispensing the sour cream.

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 1 pound cremini mushrooms (or baby portabellos)
• 1 pound white button mushrooms
• 1 1/2 tablespoons dry vermouth
• 2/3 cup sour cream
• 1 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/3 cup chopped scallions (the green part)
• 1 pinch nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 1/2 cup grated gruyere cheese
• 1 teaspoon crushed red chile peppers

Method

1. Preheat oven to 400ºF.
2. Coarsely chop the mushrooms (see below).
3. In a small pot, heat the whipping cream over medium heat and reduce by half. You can do this as you prepare the rest of the dish. Stir frequently otherwise the cream will bubble and overflow! The goal here is to turn the cream into a white sauce by reducing it. This saves us from having to use flour and butter for the sauce.
4. Melt the butter in a large skillet and sauté the onions until they begin to color, about 8 minutes.
5. Add the mushrooms and sauté until they release their liquid, and then until the liquid has evaporated and mushrooms are nicely browned, about 18-20 minutes.
6. Stir in the vermouth and cook another three minutes.
7. At this point your cream should have reduced by half giving you 3/4 cup of reduced cream sauce. Add a pinch of salt to the sauce.
8. Stir in the sour cream, 1/2 cup of the reduced cream sauce, 3/4 cup grated gruyere cheese, green onions, nutmeg, fennel seeds and salt and pepper. Mix well and cook for another three minutes.
9. Divide the mixture among 4 ovenproof ramekins (7 ounce size) or custard cups placed on a cookie sheet (these will overflow so be sure to use the cookie sheet to protect your oven). Spread a tablespoon of the reduced cream sauce over each ramekin and sprinkle generously with the remainder of the gruyere cheese.
10. Bake for 12 minutes or until bubbly and browned on top.
11. Remove from oven and sprinkle with crushed red chile peppers. Let set for 5 minutes before serving.

Makes 4 individual servings or 6 side-dish servings.

Step 2: Half of the coarsely chopped mushrooms

Step 9: Ready for the oven!