Mushroom Confit

Confit was originally a means of preserving meats without refrigeration.  It was perfected in France, and today the most recognizable of these preparations is duck.  The meat is slowly cooked in its own rendered fat and a bit of salt, then stored in this fat.  Duck confit is one of the cornerstones of cassoulet - hey, fall is coming - that's a must-make dish for me soon!

Fruit can also be prepared confit (it is preserved in sugar) as well as vegetables, such as I am preparing today.

Of course I have to make a hybrid / crossover dish; I can't leave well enough alone.

We had a surplus of mushrooms at work this week, and our Chef gave some of them to us for our own use; I was inspired to do something out of the ordinary with my portion.  I am pairing the woodsy, earthy flavor of the mushrooms with some of my favorite potherbs and the pleasant mustiness of white pepper.  I am using a little olive oil and equal parts butter and bacon fat for this confit preparation.  I even dropped in a bit of chicken fat (schmaltz!) from parts going into my chicken stock.



THE RECIPE

1 pound mushrooms, white, brown, or a mix of wild mushrooms cut into small slices or dices
3 cloves garlic, grated
2 shallots, minced
2 sprigs fresh basil, chiffonade
Leaves from 5-6 sprigs fresh thyme
1t white pepper
1/2 t sea salt
2T balsamic vinegar
2T red wine
2T Extra Virgin olive oil
3-4 dashes Worcestershire sauce

4T butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 pound thickly sliced pepper bacon
2-3 slices salt pork

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and lightly oil a small baking dish.  Mix mushrooms, herbs and seasonings in a bowl.

Pour into the baking dish, top with butter and layer with bacon and salt pork.  Bake for one hour.  Stir the mixture and flip over the bacon and salt pork pieces.

Return to the oven and bake for another 30 minutes.  Remove bacon and salt pork, increase oven temperature to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.  Bake for another 20-30 minutes, until sauce is reduced and top layer is caramelized.  Stir and store for future use.

Use this mushroom confit as a soup base or topping for meats, baked potatoes or vegetables (as I will in an upcoming post).