Duxelles
Duxelles is a paste of finely chopped mushrooms and shallots cooked in butter until dry. It is the filling in beef Wellington and a base for stuffings.
Also called Mushroom duxelles.
Duxelles is a thick paste of very finely chopped mushrooms, shallots and herbs, cooked in butter until almost all the moisture is gone. It tastes deeply of mushroom. It is best known as the layer around the beef in beef Wellington, and is also used to stuff vegetables, chicken and ravioli.
How to do it
- Clean 500 g (about 1 pound) of mushrooms, such as cremini or button.
- Mince them very finely by hand, or pulse them in a food processor in small batches until they look like coarse crumbs.
- Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a wide pan over medium heat. Add 2 minced shallots and sweat them for 2 minutes.
- Add the mushrooms and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often, for 15 to 20 minutes.
- The mushrooms will release a lot of liquid, then dry out. Keep cooking until the pan is dry and the mix holds together.
- Add thyme or parsley, pepper, and a splash of white wine or cream if you like. Cook until dry again.
How to tell it is done
When you drag a spoon through the pan, the line stays clear and no liquid seeps back in. The paste is dark brown and clumps together.
Why it works
Mushrooms are mostly water. Cooking it off concentrates their flavor, and a dry paste will not make pastry soggy.
How to use it
Spread it on beef before wrapping in puff pastry, spoon it on toast, stir it into risotto or sauces, or mix it with breadcrumbs as a stuffing.
How to store it
Cool it and keep it covered in the fridge for up to 4 days, or freeze it flat in a bag for up to 3 months.
Common mistakes
- Chopping too coarsely, which gives a lumpy filling.
- Overfilling a food processor, which turns mushrooms to mush on the bottom and leaves chunks on top.
- Stopping while it is still wet. Wet duxelles makes pastry soggy.
Related terms
- MinceTo mince is to cut food into the smallest pieces you can, finer than chopped, so garlic, ginger, shallots or herbs melt into a dish with no chunks.
- SweatTo sweat vegetables is to cook them gently in a little fat over low heat until soft and translucent, without browning, to bring out a mild, sweet flavor.
- ShallotA shallot is a small, mild onion that grows in clusters, sweeter and gentler than a regular onion. Here is how to use it and what to swap in for it.
- Food processorA food processor is an electric machine with a spinning blade and discs that chops, purees, slices and mixes dough in seconds. Here is how to use one well.
- Puff pastryPuff pastry is a dough folded with butter into hundreds of thin layers that rise into a crisp, flaky pastry. Here is how to bake it tall and crisp.