Mushroom and Sausage Pot Pie

by LEON BOUTEILLER

Cooler weather is ahead and I think of foods to cook. Normally at this time I’d be out foraging for mushrooms. There hasn’t been much rain recently and I’ve not found any edible fungi. Maybe this last storm will bring some Hen of the Woods to life in the nearby oak forests.

I enjoy foraging for wild edibles throughout our forests and fields. In the spring, if I am lucky, I can find ramps, asparagus and perhaps morels. Then in summer there all kinds of leafy greens to enjoy either raw or cooked or chicken mushrooms and oyster mushrooms. Normally, at this time, I’d be out foraging for mushrooms but there hasn’t been much rain recently and I’ve not found any fungi of the edible kind. Maybe this last storm will bring some Hen of the Woods to life in the nearby oak forests.

The mushrooms we see on the surface of the earth are the flowering reproductive organs of the mycelium below the surface. The same with the ones found on a tree. I feel confident knowing the edibility of a few wild mushrooms. I strongly advise not to mushroom hunt without explicit knowledge of fungi identities.

I suggest most do your mushroom hunting in the market. There you can find a variety of mushroom grown commercially. Some are more flavorful and some hold up better in a stew. This recipe calls for common Baby Bella or Crimini, two names for the same mushroom. Portobello mushroom caps, the mature version of the aforementioned, can be an equally good choice. The gills should be removed before cooking to avoid a murky, unappealing appearance.

I use a dumpling batter for the top crust. It’s just a loose biscuit dough, easier than a traditional pie dough to roll out and fit to the pot. The dumplings can be portioned over the hot braise and cooked immediately. The seasoning and ingredients are simple so the mushroom flavor shines through; the flavor of leeks and fennel are not disguised by garlic and other alliums. The sausage alone provides all needed seasoning. The white miso adds some umami background that rounds out the dish.

MUSHROOM and SAUSAGE POT PIE
Serves 6

Ingredients for the braise:

1 ½ pounds Crimini mushrooms, cleaned and quartered, or any combination of wild types, foraged or farmed and cut into bite-sized pieces
12 ounces fennel bulb, chopped
12 ounces leeks, white part only. Cut crosswise into 1/2 inch strips, thoroughly washed and spun dry in a salad spinner
1 pound Italian style sweet sausage, links or bulk. Pork, turkey or lamb, all will do
2 tablespoons neutral oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups strong chicken stock
¾ cup Madeira or Marsala wine
3 tablespoons white miso dissolved in an equal amount of water or stock
3 tablespoons AP flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

Method:

Heat a Dutch oven over medium high heat with the neutral oil
Brown the sausage all over if using links or break up bulk sausage and cook through
Remove the sausage and set aside. If using links, when cool to the touch, cut crosswise into 1/2 inch slices
Add the unsalted butter, fennel and leeks and cook for about 3 minutes
Add the mushrooms and cook for another 5 minutes until the mushrooms are cooked through
Add the flour, salt and pepper, stir to combine and cook 3 minutes to cook out the rawness of the flour
Stir in the wine, stock, sausage and miso and bring to a gentle boil
Top the braise evenly with dollops of the dumpling batter and either cover the pot, reduce the heat to low and cook for about 12 minutes until the dumplings are cooked through
or place the pot in a pre-heated 350F degree oven for 12 minutes or so, until the dumplings are cooked and have started to take on some color
Remove pot from the oven or stovetop and serve in warm bowls

Ingredients for the dumplings:

⅔ cup AP flour
⅓ cup fine cornmeal or Masa Harina
2 teaspoons sugar or maple syrup
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon melted butter
⅔ cup buttermilk
1 cup cooked corn kernels, or from one good sized ear

Method:

In a bowl, combine the dry ingredients and stir to blend
Add the buttermilk, melted butter and corn kernels and stir until just combined and the dry spots are gone
Follow the directions for cooking the dumplings in the recipe for the braise

This is a good, hearty dish that features simple savory flavors with an emphasis on the mushrooms. Some lightly dressed greens can be served on the side with cooked end of summer garden veggies. It’s easy to make and if there are only two or three people you’ll find that it reheats quite well.

Enjoy!