James Beard semifinalist Chris Amendola sent his oft-requested recipe for mushroom stew, a hallmark of his Station North restaurant, with the following caveat: “It’s a pretty modified version as no one is going to take the time to do what we do at home.” The dish requires mushroom stock; we used a recipe from Bon Appetit and made it in advance. The stew is designed to serve two, and can be topped with a poached egg and ricotta cheese.

You can also try the recipe for Rooted Rotisserie’s macaroni and cheese, Dutch Courage’s Brussels sprout salad and Little Donna’s sausage and sauerkraut.

Ingredients

• 1 cup of whole shiitake mushrooms, cleaned and with stems removed
• 1 cup of oyster mushrooms, cleaned and with stems removed
• 3 cups of mushroom stock (use stems of mushrooms to make stock)
• 2 tablespoons garlic, chopped
• 2 tablespoons shallots, chopped
• 3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
• 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 eggs poached
• Salt and pepper
• ¼ cup ricotta cheese, seasoned
• 3 tablespoons fresh herbs, chopped (parsley, chervil, chives and tarragon)
• Cooking oil

Directions

1. To cook the mushrooms, tear them into bite-size pieces, coat with some oil and season with salt. Roast in the oven at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes or until golden brown.
2. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter and sauté mushrooms until browned, about 8 minutes. Set to the side.
3. In a medium pot, sweat the shallots and garlic until tender.
4. Add the mushrooms, the other tablespoon of butter and pine nuts, and mix with the garlic and shallots until butter has completely melted.
5. Add the stock and let the concoction cook down until it is a stew consistency — about 10-15 minutes. Finish with the fresh herbs and sherry vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Spoon the stew into two bowls and top with 3 tablespoons of ricotta and a poached egg on each.