By The beef wellington happened on Thursday. Four days of preparation, the way I'd planned it: the tenderloin from the Hendersons, sourced Sunday; the mushroom duxelles made Monday, cooked until completely dry in stages; the pâté layer applied Tuesday, the whole thing wrapped in Parma ham and chilled overnight; the puff pastry made from scratch Wednesday, which took two hours and Teddy's absolute attention through the lamination process.
Thursday afternoon, the assembly and the oven. Teddy managed the internal temperature with a probe thermometer, monitoring it with the focus of a person who has been thinking about this dish for four months. He would not leave the oven. Jim came into the kitchen once to ask when dinner was and Teddy said: when it's ready, Dad, which is the correct answer from a cook in the middle of something important.
When it came out of the oven it was right: the pastry deep gold, the pâté visible at the cut edge, the beef a perfect medium-rare throughout. He carried it to the table himself. He cut the first slice himself. We were all quiet for a moment when we tasted it. Finn said: this is the best thing I've ever eaten. Finn has said this about a dozen meals, but this time the adults agreed with him.
Jim took Teddy aside after dinner. I don't know what he said. But when Teddy came back to the kitchen to help clean up he had the expression of someone who has just received something significant. He didn't say anything to me about it. I didn't ask. Some things belong to the people who exchanged them.
The duxelles was Monday’s project, but the truth is that our favorite marinated mushrooms are what taught Teddy how mushrooms behave in heat — how they release their liquid, how patience turns them into something concentrated and savory and entirely different from where they started. We make this recipe all the time, sometimes as a side, sometimes just to have in the fridge for the week. It’s the dish that gave him the instinct he needed when it mattered most.
Favorite Marinated Mushrooms
Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 10 minutes | Total Time: 25 minutes (plus marinating) | Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 1 pound whole white or cremini mushrooms, cleaned and trimmed
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 bay leaf
Instructions
- Prepare the mushrooms. If mushrooms are large, halve or quarter them so they are roughly uniform in size. Leave small mushrooms whole.
- Cook briefly. In a medium saucepan, combine the olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, thyme, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and bay leaf. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat.
- Add the mushrooms. Stir the mushrooms into the simmering liquid. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are just tender and have absorbed some of the marinade.
- Cool and marinate. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Transfer mushrooms and all liquid to a jar or covered container. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight for best flavor.
- Serve. Remove bay leaf. Stir in the fresh parsley just before serving. Serve at room temperature as a side, appetizer, or spooned over crusty bread.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 135 | Protein: 2g | Fat: 12g | Carbs: 5g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 200mg