I have tried various ways of marinating mushrooms, including the one with garlic and herbs, but I think this recipe, ‘Sherry Marinated Mushrooms’ is best for summer. Maybe because it’s served cold…?
I had my first taste of this ‘tapa’ in Seville, back in 2014. Andalucia is the first region of Spain that I visited for vacation, not work (i.e. I actually had time to walk around and relax ). Since orange trees literally line up the streets of Seville, I initially thought they add orange juice in sherry marinated mushroom. There is a slight (but not overwhelming) sweetness when you bite into the mushrooms – turns out it is the sherry that gives the dish that flavor.
As you can guess, prior to that visit, I had no idea that sherry (both in wine and vinegar form) is one of the pillars of Spanish cuisine. Tell you what though, once I started using it, it made complete sense why.
For this recipe, it makes a HUGE difference what kind of sherry you use. Be mindful of the level of sweetness (or dryness) in each kind of sherry. If you use one that is sweeter, the dish might end up ‘cloyingly’ sweet – unless that is how you prefer it, of course. I tried that myself; I used ‘PX’ (Pedro Ximenez) with sherry marinated mushrooms – and NEVER again.
I also prefer to grate the onions, because I cannot chop them fine enough. I like the onions to disappear in the sauce, like it has melted with the liquid. If you don’t mind seeing chunks of onions, or if you chop better than me, feel free to skip the grating (and the mess).
Generally, tomato paste is used in sherry marinated mushrooms. I opted for dried tomato puree, because of the slight smokiness and sweetness in the dried tomato. Admittedly, it adds up to the sweetness, but I just think the taste is more complex than tomato paste.
Sherry marinated mushrooms are also great as sides for grilled meats. We normally pair it with chilled sherry as well, but that’s just to complete the ‘Spanish’ setting. 😉 Have it with your favorite drink, it goes well with almost anything – and don’t forget those crusty bread for soaking the sauce and wiping the plate clean! 🙂
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 small onion, grated
- 1 & 1/2 tbsp dried tomato, pureed
- 1/4 cup amontillado sherry
- 1/4 cup water
- 3 pieces clove
- 250 grams button mushrooms
- salt and pepper, to season
- fresh parsley, roughly chopped, for garnish
- Over medium heat, heat up olive oil in a pan. Once olive oil is ready, add garlic and onion.
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Once onion turns translucent and soft, add dried tomato puree, sherry, water and cloves. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for around 40 minutes.
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Taste and season with salt and pepper (as needed). Add the mushrooms, stir, and cover for 5 to 8 minutes (longer if you are using larger button mushrooms).
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Turn off the heat and set aside to cool in the pan.
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Store mushrooms in the refrigerator overnight.
- Serve cold and garnish with chopped fresh parsley.
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