Chanterelle and Cremini Mushroom Gratin
Serves 4 (or more)
Mushrooms get the deluxe treatment here in this elegant side dish.
First they’re sautéed with butter, a shallot, some onion, parsley,
and caraway seeds (an ingredient you probably best know from
rye bread). Once they release their liquid and start to brown, they
get bathed with a generous addition of crème fraîche—which
makes the whole thing creamy and tangy—and an extra hit of
vinegar. Poured into a gratin dish (you can also use a glass pie
plate) and topped with slightly toasted bread crumbs (they finish
up in the oven), you have a dish that’s rich, satisfying, crunchy,
and meaty—a great side for chicken or steak or just by itself with
a salad and bread.2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon unsalted butter
½ to 1 cup fresh bread crumbs, ground relatively fine
1 shallot, minced
¼ yellow onion, chopped fine
¼ cup finely chopped parsley, plus 1 or 2 pinches for later
2 cups chanterelle* and cremini mushrooms, wiped clean
with a damp paper towel and sliced thick
Kosher salt
½ to 1 teaspoon caraway seeds