I’ve been making a mushroom sauce for years now, and it’s a versatile base for a range of different meals. By moving towards olive oil, and adding tofu and coconut milk, I can make it vegan; by taking out the garlic I can move it from savory to sweet; and for a spicy change, I add chile and chocolate.  Here is the basic recipe, with some variations I’ve invented over time at the end. The most ambitious variation is one that results in a “chocolate marsala creme sauce”.  Odd as it may seem, the chocolate marsala version is great with steak. Add wine.

Ingredients

• Olive oil (or butter)
• Crushed Garlic
• Mushrooms (white button, or others to taste)
• Worcestershire sauce
• Lemons
• Starch (for thickening)
• Cream (creme fraiche, or sour creme, or coconut creme)
  

Optional ingredients

• Tamarind paste / sauce
• Semi-sweet chocolate
• Maple syrup
• Chipotle chile powder

Preparation

• Wash mushrooms and remove stems
• Finely slice enough mushrooms to fit medium size skillet (2 cups)

Cooking

• Saute garlic in oil (or butter). IMHO olive oil tastes better.
• Add mushrooms and cook until soft, stirring continually.
• Squeeze 2 lemons and stir well.
• Add Worcestershire sauce (1-2tablespoons) and, if you like
• Add marsala wine to taste
• Add 1 can of coconut milk OR 2 cups of sour creme, or creme fraiche
• Thicken with starch (corn starch OR rice starch)

Variations

• Vegetarian Meal variation – before thickening, add diced firm tofu, and cook for 5 mins -and serve over rice
• Sweet sauce variation – Leave out the garlic at the beginning, and add maple syrup at the end, before serving
• Chocolate Marsala sauce – this has the most variations, so it likely qualifies as a separate recipe. Basically, leave out the garlic, add tamarind to taste, 3 pinches chipotle chile and a cup of semi-sweet chocolate, and blend after cooking, but before serving. This variation uses creme fraiche, and does not require thickening. It is a great accompaniment for steak, lamb, salmon or chicken.

Character

• The character of the sauce is tart/sweet and smooth. It has a complex mouth-feel, and can be adjusted towards chocolate/spice or savory/tart.