This is a delicious and convenient way of using up mushroom stems and storing or preserving them for use whenever a mushroom flavor is wanted. Add to stuffings, sauces or gravies, or use in meat and fish cookery. You may strain before using. Allow 2 tablespoons for 1 cup chicken-flavored sauce.

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb. mushrooms
• 2 Tbs. butter or 3 Tbs. olive oil
• 1/4 cup chopped onion or 2 Tbs. chopped shallots
• 1/4 tsp. grated nutmeg - season to taste

Directions

Chop mushrooms very fine and squeeze in a cloth, twisting to extract as much moisture as possible. Reserve.

Cook onions or shallots until golden in butter or olive oil.

Add the mushrooms plus juice and nutmeg to taste.

Sauté on high heat until the mushroom moisture is absorbed. Refrigerate duxelles in a covered jar until ready to use, but do not hold longer than 5 days.

Joy of Cooking, Irma S. Rombauer & Marion Rombauer Becker, The Bobbs-Merrill Company, Inc., Indianapolis/New York, 1975, p. 573.