Winter Mushroom Gratin

~from Savoring Time in the Kitchen

Serves 6

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 large shallots, thinly sliced

1 large clove garlic, minced

1-1/2 lbs. assorted winter mushrooms (I used half cremini and half shiitake), trimmed and sliced

1/4 cup dry Sherry

1-1/2 cups heavy cream

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

1/2 cup grated good quality Parmesan cheese

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme leaves

1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary leaves

2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

Can be made a day in advance.

Trim the mushrooms and slice or chop thickly, discarding stems of woody mushrooms as shiitake. You can leave little mushrooms whole.

In a 5-quart saute pan, heat the olive oil until almost smoking over medium heat. Add the shallots and saute until golden, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and mushrooms, cover the pan and let the mushrooms simmer until they have given up their juices, about 10 minutes. Uncover the pan and raise the heat to high. Continue to saute the mushrooms, stirring, until the pan is dry and then add the Sherry. Stir until the mushrooms absorb the Sherry, then add the cream and salt and pepper to taste. Bring the cream to a boil and reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the cream has thickened, about 3 or 4 minutes. Stir in the grated cheese, lemon zest and herbs and remove from heat. Adjust seasonings, if necessary.

Divide the mushrooms and sauce mixture among 6 small ramekins or use gratin dishes. At this point they can be covered and refrigerated overnight.

If serving right away, preheat the broiler to high. Place the ramekins or gratins on a baking sheet and broil until bubbling and golden on top, about 30 seconds, watching carefully. Serve immediately.

If the mushroom mixture has been made ahead and is cold, preheat the oven to 350F, uncover ramekins and bake until the gratins are warmed and bubbling. Then turn on the broiler and broil them until golden brown on the top as above.

Adapted from West Town Tavern: Contemporary Comfort Food

Note: The original recipe calls for orange zest and pecorino romano cheese.