Mushrooms and Sauvignon Blanc: make your taste buds dance

There are mushrooms and then there are mushrooms. Sure, they’re great in pastas, lasagnas, pizzas, salads, and all kinds of cooked dishes, but I love stuffed mushrooms! They are really easy to make and you can stuff them with anything you please. Cheese, crab, bacon, and vegetables are all great choices – the list goes on and on. And of course, mushrooms and Sauvignon Blanc are a match made in heaven as far as I’m concerned.

The mushrooms, the cheese and the wine

Today, I’m focusing on stuffed mushrooms that are full of yummy cheeses – cream cheese, Emmental, and Parmesan (I’m providing the recipe for you). Please don’t leave out the Emmental because it really does add a piquant flavour. But of course, you can use any cheese you like.

The wine I prefer with this recipe is a crisp Sauvignon Blanc which cuts through the fat of the cheese with citrus notes. I also love how the herbaceous flavours complement the mushrooms.

The ingredients

I love fresh ingredients – the fresher, the better! And that’s what I’ve chosen for this recipe. (Full disclosure though. I found a recipe on the web that I used as a base. It’s also good but I like my version way better. You can look at it here.)

Vegetable broth (to sauté vegetables)
White wine, preferably Sauvignon Blanc (to add to vegetable broth)
12 medium cremini mushrooms
1 large garlic clove, minced
1/2 medium red onion, finely chopped
1/4 package cream cheese (8 oz or 250 g package)
1/3 cup shredded Emmental cheese
1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp ground rosemary
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
1/8 tsp ground cayenne (more if you want to spice it up!)
Dash of salt

The method

1. Preheat oven to 350° F (175° C).Line a baking tray with parchment paper or a silicon baking sheet.
2. After cleaning and trimming mushrooms, remove the stems. Set the caps aside and finely chop the stems.
3. Heat a frying pan, add 1/4 cup vegetable broth, the chopped mushroom stems and the chopped onion. Keep adding vegetable broth as the vegetables start to get dry. As soon as the onions are translucent and the mushrooms look cooked, add the garlic and stir so that the garlic does not burn. Add more vegetable broth as required. Add a splash or two of white wine. When the garlic is soft, remove the pan from the heat. (I love this step because you are sautéing with vegetable broth and wine, not oil.)
4. In a medium bowl, mash the cream cheese, Emmental cheese and Parmesan cheese with the seasonings until everything is mixed. Then add the mushroom mixture and combine well. Note: At any time, you can taste and adjust the ingredients as you see fit.
5. Place the mushroom caps on the baking tray and, using a spoon, fill the caps. They will be piled high.
6. Bake in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes until you see the cheese melting and liquid is forming under the mushrooms. (I found that I was able to pull the mushrooms out at the 16-minute mark.)

Serve with tomato quarters and of course, Sauvignon Blanc!

Final thoughts on mushrooms and Sauvignon Blanc…

Mushrooms and Sauvignon Blanc – wonderful! And Sauvignon Blanc goes well with other mushroom dishes and other dishes where you want the critus and herbal flavours to either complement or contrast.

For other interesting food and wine pairings, listen to a conversation I had with Allie Pearce.