2 winter treats with simple, versatile mushrooms

For the last few weeks, I’ve been enjoying cremini mushrooms almost to the point of craving them.

It began as an experiment. I saw them for a good price, $2.99 a pound, and decided to give them a try, as it had been a while since I cooked with them. I have access to wild mushrooms, including morels and boletes, and live close enough to Gourmet Mushrooms in Sebastopol that it’s easy to take advantage of their wholesale-to-the-public sale (1 to 2 p.m. Friday).

Cremini mushrooms have two advantages: price and availability. They are available year-round, and most markets offer them at a good price. But don’t think of them as the bland canned mushrooms your mother tried to get you to eat. Cremini mushrooms are delicious, and cooking them the right way brings out their flavors.

Cremini mushrooms are agaricus bisporus, the same species as button, white and portobello mushrooms. The difference is age. The younger the mushroom, the more moisture and less flavor it contains. Button and white mushrooms are quite young and have a very mild flavor. Creminis are immature but older than whites, with less moisture and more flavor. Portobellos are the driest, with the richest flavor.

To make a cremini blossom into its full self, slice and cook it until it is nearly crisp around the edges. Olive oil, coconut oil and butter all work well as the fat to cook them in. Once you’ve cooked them this way, you can use them in pasta, risotto, polenta, quesadillas, fried rice, Joe’s Special and more.

For a simple snack or lunch, prepare the mushrooms and grate some Jack cheese. Have them at the ready, along with salsa or hot sauce. Heat a handmade-style corn tortilla until it is very tender and starts to puff up a bit. Cover it with cheese, top the cheese with mushrooms and transfer to a plate. Season with salt, add salsa or hot sauce and enjoy. This is currently my favorite quick lunch.

For years, I have made this strudel with specialty mushrooms, usually maitake but sometimes boletes or a mix of several from Gourmet Mushrooms. I’ve adapted the dish to work beautifully with cremini mushrooms. It can be made a day before serving; just bring it up to room temperature while the oven preheats. This makes an excellent appetizer, side dish or main course with a big green salad alongside.

Cremini Mushroom Strudel

Makes 6 to 8 servings

For the dough

¾ cup unsalted butter, room temperature

¾ cup young chévre, room temperature

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

¼ cup heavy cream

For the filling

3 tablespoons butter

1 ½ pounds cremini mushrooms, sliced

2 shallots, minced

3 garlic cloves, minced

Kosher salt

Black pepper in a mill

6 ounces Vella Mezzo Secco, grated

3 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced

1 egg white mixed with 1 tablespoon water

1 tablespoon white sesame seeds, toasted

To make the dough, use an electric mixer or sturdy wooden spoon to combine the butter and chévre in a large mixing bowl until it is smooth and creamy. Gradually add the flour and salt to the butter mixture. Mix in the cream, shape into a ball and refrigerate, covered, for at least 1 hour. The dough can be stored in the refrigerator for several days, if it’s well-wrapped.

To make the filling, heat the butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and saute, turning frequently, until they begin to release their liquid. Continue to cook until the mushrooms are very tender and are beginning to crisp a bit at the edges. Push the mushrooms to the side of the pan, add the shallots and saute until they are limp and fragrant, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and saute 1 minute. Stir the mushrooms, shallots and garlic together. Season with salt and several turns of black pepper. Remove from the heat and let cool.

To finish the strudel, remove the dough from the refrigerator and let rest for about 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and lightly oil a baking sheet.

Dust a work surface with flour and roll out the dough to form a rectangle approximately 10 inches by 12 inches. Scatter the cheese lengthwise down one side of the dough, leaving an outer margin of about ¾ an inch.

Spread the mushroom mixture on top of the cheese and scatter the scallions over the mushrooms.

Brush the outer edge of the pastry with egg white. Fold the pastry over the mushrooms and crimp the edges together. Press with a fork to seal the dough tightly.

Brush the top of the pastry with the egg white, sprinkle the sesame seeds on top and slash the pastry crosswise every 2 inches. Don’t cut too deep. Carefully place the strudel on the baking sheet and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes.

Cut into crosswise slices, set on a platter and enjoy hot or at room temperature.

Savory bread puddings are delicious alongside roast chicken, roast turkey, standing rib roast and similar dishes. It also makes a lovely breakfast; serve it on a bed of parsley, with seasonal fruit alongside.

Mushroom Bread Pudding

Makes 4 to 8 servings

3 tablespoons butter

1 shallot, minced

1 ounce pancetta, minced

1 pound cremini mushrooms

1 cup dry white wine

Kosher salt

1 loaf sourdough hearth bread, preferably at least a day old

½ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

10 ounces Joe Matos St. George Cheese, grated

6 large farm eggs

Whole nutmeg

Black pepper in a mill

2 ½ cups whole milk

Put 2 tablespoons of the butter into a large saute pan set over medium heat. When the butter is melted, add the shallot and saute until soft and fragrant, about 7 minutes. Do not let the shallot brown.

Add the pancetta, stir to separate the pieces and cook until it just loses its raw look, about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms, turn to coat them with butter and cook gently until they begin to wilt. Add the wine, cover the pan and cook for about 5 minutes, until the mushrooms are fully wilted and tender. Simmer until the liquid is reduced to just a few tablespoons. Season with salt, remove from the heat and set aside.

Tear the bread into chunks and put it into a large bowl.

Set aside about ¼ cup of the mushroom mixture and add the rest, along with the parsley and the cheese, to the bowl with the bread. Toss thoroughly and set aside.

Break the eggs, one at a time, into a small bowl and then tip each one into a large mixing bowl. Use a sturdy whisk to whip the eggs until smooth and creamy. Add several gratings of nutmeg and a dozen or so generous turns of black pepper to the eggs, along with a generous teaspoon or so of salt. Add the milk and mix thoroughly.

Pour the custard mixture over the bread and toss gently. Let rest for about 5 minutes.

Coat the inside of a 2-quart baking dish with the remaining butter. Tip the pudding into the dish, cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and as long as overnight.

To finish, remove the pudding from the refrigerator and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. When the oven reaches full heat, set the dish on the middle rack, leaving it covered. Bake for 30 minutes and then remove the foil. Continue to cook for 5 to 15 minutes, until the pudding has puffed up and the top is lightly browned. Remove from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes.

To serve, cut into wedges, set on a platter and enjoy hot.

Michele Anna Jordan is the author of 24 books to date, including “The Good Cook’s Book of Salt & Pepper.” Email her at michele@micheleannajordan.com.