Duxelles facts for kids
Preparation of duxelles
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| Created by | François Pierre La Varenne |
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| Invented | 17th century |
| Main ingredients | Mushrooms |
| Ingredients generally used | Onions or shallots; herbs |
Duxelles (pronounced "dook-SELL") is a delicious mix of finely chopped mushrooms, onions (or shallots), and fresh herbs like thyme or parsley. This mixture is cooked in butter until it becomes a thick, flavorful paste. Sometimes, a little cream, Madeira wine, or sherry is added to make it even richer.
Duxelles is a very useful ingredient in cooking. It's often used as a stuffing for other foods, like in the famous Beef Wellington. It can also be used to make tasty sauces or as a garnish to decorate a dish. You can even bake it inside pastry to make a savory tart!
What's in Duxelles?
You can make Duxelles with many different kinds of mushrooms. It works well with common cultivated mushrooms, like white or brown mushrooms. You can also use wild mushrooms, such as porcini mushrooms. Duxelles made with wild porcini mushrooms will have a much stronger and earthier flavor.
Who Invented Duxelles?
The creation of Duxelles is often credited to a French chef named François Pierre La Varenne. He lived in the 17th century (from 1615 to 1678). It is believed that he named this mushroom mixture after his boss, Nicolas Chalon du Blé, marquis d'Uxelles. Nicolas Chalon du Blé was a very important person, a Maréchal de France.
Why Use Dried Mushrooms?
Many old cookbooks say that Duxelles should be made with dried mushrooms. This was done for a few good reasons. Drying the mushrooms first helps to make their flavor stronger. It also removes a lot of water from them.
When fresh mushrooms are cooked, they release a lot of steam. If you use fresh mushrooms as a stuffing inside a dish or pastry, this steam can build up. Too much steam could cause the dish or pastry to crack or even break open. Using dried mushrooms helps prevent this by reducing the amount of moisture.
See also
In Spanish: Duxelles para niños
