Why it works: Mushroom and sherry are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 5% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 1,176 recipes. Both carry 2-methoxy-4-methylphenol, which smells smoky, clove. The science ↓
Mushroom Sauce
Ingredients
Directions
Make the sauce
Make ½ pint of brown or Spanish sauce using ⅓ cup consommé and ⅓ cup mushroom liquor.
Add 2 tablespoons of sherry or Madeira and 1 cup of champignons.
Cook for 3 minutes.
If using fresh mushrooms, add them and the wine to ½ pint of ordinary Spanish sauce.
Finish the sauce
Set the saucepan at the side of the fire and simmer for 10 minutes until the mushrooms are tender.
Season with salt and pepper.
For a richer color, add a few drops of caramel or ½ teaspoon of kitchen bouquet.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
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Mushroom + sherrytop 5% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,176 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-methoxy-4-methylphenol (smoky, clove).
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Mushroom + peppertop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together13,580 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
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Sherry + peppertop 18% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together3,107 recipes
Shared aroma: piperonal (bitter, coconut).
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Sauce + mushroomtop 19% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together4,480 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
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Sauce + sherrytop 23% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together1,097 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Mushrooms
- Provide the main flavor and tender texture once simmered in the sauce.
- Sherry or madeira
- Adds aromatic depth and a touch of acidity to the sauce.
- Consommé
- Adds savory liquid body and flavor to the sauce base.
- Brown or spanish sauce
- Forms the thick savory base that the other ingredients are added to.
The step that matters
Simmering until the mushrooms are tender. Mushrooms need gentle simmering to soften fully and release their flavor into the sauce. Simmering too hard can reduce and thicken the sauce unevenly or toughen the mushrooms, so keep the heat low and the sauce at a gentle simmer.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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