Sautéed Mushrooms with Bourbon — The Dish That Fed a Whole Rehab Wing

Week two of recovery. Babcia is progressing. Slowly. The physical therapist says she's "stubborn and determined," which is redundant when describing Babcia Helen but accurate. She's walking with a walker now — ten steps, twenty steps, down the hallway and back. Each step is an act of will. Her hands grip the walker with the same intensity she uses to grip a rolling pin. The arthritis doesn't help — her hands are in pain constantly, from the walker pressure, and the therapist suggested she use a wheelchair more often. Babcia said, "I'll use a wheelchair when I'm dead." The therapist looked at me. I shrugged. You don't argue with Babcia. I kept bringing food every day. The nursing staff started requesting items. "Can you bring more of that mushroom soup?" "Is there any bigos left?" My grandmother's food is feeding an entire rehab wing. She'd be proud, except she's annoyed that I'm cooking instead of her. "Your pierogi dough is getting better," she said on Wednesday. This is the first purely positive thing Babcia has said about my cooking. No qualifier. No "but." Just better. I wanted to record it. I wanted a witness. I told Mom and she said, "Jake, that's huge." I know, Mom. I know. At the brewery, things are moving without me. Marcus is handling production while I'm part-time. The mushroom stout is conditioning for its November release. The Fireside is on shelves again. The machine runs. But I miss it. I miss the steam, the smell, the rhythm of brew days. I'll be back full-time soon. Babcia is getting better. She has to get better. Instagram has been quiet — I haven't posted in two weeks. A few followers messaged asking if I'm okay. I posted a simple photo on Friday: a glass container of pierogi in a hospital room, the fluorescent lights overhead, Babcia's hand reaching for one. Caption: "Cooking for her now. She still says the dough is too thick." 700 likes. My most-liked post ever. The comments made me cry. I didn't edit that out. Sunday: still no family dinner. I brought Babcia her Sunday meal in the rehab center. She ate at a tray table in a hospital gown and it was the saddest Sunday dinner in sixty years. But she ate. And she hummed while she ate. Softly. Barely audible. But she hummed.

When the nursing staff started lining up to ask for more of the mushroom dishes, I knew I had to write this one down properly. Mushrooms have been running through everything lately — the soup I’ve been hauling to the rehab center, the mushroom stout conditioning back at the brewery, and now this pan of sautéed mushrooms with bourbon that somehow became Babcia’s most-requested item. There’s something fitting about a recipe that uses bourbon when you spend your days thinking about fermentation and flavor, and something even more fitting about a dish this simple carrying this much weight. Make it for someone who needs feeding.

Sautéed Mushrooms with Bourbon

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 15 minutes | Total Time: 25 minutes | Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1 lb cremini or baby bella mushrooms, cleaned and sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup bourbon
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

Instructions

1. Prep the mushrooms. Clean mushrooms with a damp paper towel and slice evenly. Avoid washing them under water — they absorb it and will steam instead of sear.
2. Heat the pan. Place a large skillet or cast iron pan over medium-high heat. Add the butter and olive oil and let the butter fully melt and begin to foam before adding the mushrooms.
3. Sear without stirring. Add the mushrooms in a single layer — work in two batches if needed. Let them cook undisturbed for 3 to 4 minutes until deeply golden on the bottom, then stir and cook another 2 to 3 minutes. Crowding the pan is the enemy of good color here.
4. Add the garlic and thyme. Push the mushrooms to the edges of the pan and add the minced garlic to the center. Cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly, until fragrant, then fold it into the mushrooms along with the thyme leaves.
5. Deglaze with bourbon. Pour in the bourbon carefully — it may sputter. Stir and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let the bourbon reduce for about 1 minute until most of the liquid has cooked off.
6. Add Worcestershire and season. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Cook another 1 to 2 minutes until the mushrooms are glazed and the liquid has tightened into a light sauce coating each piece.
7. Finish and serve. Remove from heat, taste and adjust salt. Scatter the chopped parsley over the top and serve immediately as a side dish, over crusty bread, or alongside pierogi.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 148 | Protein: 3g | Fat: 9g | Carbs: 7g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 218mg