Lobster Mushroom Quenelles with Summer Vegetables

A gluten free lobster mushroom dumpling that’s pretty fancy. Potato based quenelles and goodness-of-summer veggies in a rich sauce are surprisingly light and satisfying.

While I love a good heavy cream sauce and pasta (which is excellent for lobster mushrooms, see my recipe) I was wanting a lighter way to serve lobster mushrooms after a summer of indulgence. On a family vacation last week I was enlightened to the concept of quenelles. Quenelles are basically a template for preparing food in a pointy egg shape, like a football. Typically you use a main ingredient like fish and a binder, and then shape the quenelles with two spoons, cook them, and serve them in a sauce or soup. (You can find videos demonstrating the spoon shaping technique. It’s fun!) This seemed like a lovely concept for a lobster mushroom recipe.

You could use so many wild mushrooms in place of the lobster mushrooms—chanterelles, morels, oysters, blewits... Since lobster mushrooms have a fairly mild flavor, and I didn’t want to use wheat flour, I opted for gold potatoes as the binder. Fresh shelled peas and zucchini are a perfect pairing for the quenelles, and the rich sauce really pulls it all together.

It’s important to get lobster mushrooms clean, as they grow out of the dirt and often push their way up through sappy pine needles. This is one of the few mushrooms I will scrub under running water. They don’t soak up water or get slimy, and they hold up well to a good brushing. Lay them on a towel after to dry off. Make sure to cut off any parts that look gross, or where the inside of the mushroom isn’t perfectly white.

Lobster Mushroom Quenelles with Summer Vegetables Recipe

Prep the lobster mushrooms:

Ingredients

• 1 lb lobster mushrooms, cleaned

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 tbsp unsalted butter

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 1 tbsp shallot, minced

• 1/2 cup dry white wine

Directions

1. Chop the mushrooms coarsely and mince in a food processor.

2. Add the oil and butter to a large skillet and heat over medium heat until the fat begins to shimmer. Add the mushrooms and stir, cooking until the water is relased from them and evaporates. Add the shallot and stir, cooking for another minute or two until the mushroom starts to get a little browned.

3. Add the wine to the skillet and stir occasionally for 2-3 minutes until it evaporates. Cook another 8 - 10 minutes until the mushrooms are dry and richly colored. Remove mixture from the pan and set aside to cool.

Make the mushroom quenelles:

Ingredients

• 1 lb Yukon gold potatoes, peeled

• 2 eggs

• 1 tbsp unsalted butter

• 1/4 tsp salt

• lobster mushroom mixture

• 1/4 cup sour cream

Directions

1. Cut the potatoes in half if they are large, leave whole if small. Boil in salted water until they are fork tender, about 20 minutes.

2. In a bowl, mash the potatoes and let cool a bit. Add the eggs, butter, salt, mushroom mixture, and sour cream and stir in well.

3. Form the quenelles using two spoons and place on a sheet pan.

4. Bake the quenelles at 375 until cooked through and lightly browned, about 20 minutes.

5. Set the quenelles aside to cool.

Assemble the dish:

Ingredients:

• 2 cups light colored vegetable broth

• 2 cups dry white wine

• 2 tbsp thinly sliced shallot

• 1 tsp minced garlic

• 1 tbsp minced parsley

• Mushroom quenelles

• 3 cups green vegetables such as chopped zucchini and peas

• salt and pepper to taste

• 4 tbsp butter, cold

Directions:

1. In a large saute pan (my 14-ich risotto pan works great) add broth, wine, shallot, garlic, and parsley. Simmer gently for a few minutes on medium heat until the wine evaporates a bit.

2. Add vegetables to the pan and steam them with the lid on until just tender. You may steam one type of vegetable at the time if they need different cooking times. Remove steamed vegetables to a plate to cool.

3. Continue to simmer the broth and wine without a lid until is reduced by half.

4. Add the vegetables back to the broth to heat through, covered, about 1 minute. Pull the vegetables from the pan with a slotted spoon and mound them on six serving dishes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and keep warm.

5. Put the quenelles in the pan with the broth mixture, covered, and heat through, about 1 minute. Remove them from the pan with a slotted spoon and place on the serving dishes.

6. There should be a small amount of liquid left in the pan, a few tablespoons. If needed, add more broth and wine and swirl it around the pan until warmed. Add the butter in small pieces, 1/2 tablespoon at the time, and gently swirl it around the pan to incorporate it into the sauce. The sauce will thicken as you add butter.

7. Drizzle sauce over each plate and serve immediately.

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