Kitchen Swap: Mushroom Sardou from The Holly Hill Inn

Kitchen Swap: Mushroom Sardou from The Holly Hill Inn

April 16th, 2009

Executive Chef Ouita (pronounced “wheat-ah”) Michel and her husband, Chris, have owned the Holly Hill Inn, an historic 1845 homestead in Midway, Kentucky, since 2000.

Mushroom Sardou by Ouita Michel of the Holly Hill Inn

Chris and Ouita met and graduated together at the Culinary Institute of America and running the inn is a “dream come true” for the culinary couple. Influenced by her mother’s eclectic cooking from the family vegetable garden and her grandmother’s traditional recipes, Ouita believes in cooking that respects both the character of ingredients as well as historic traditions. She must be doing something right, since for the second year in a row, she’s been nominated as a semi-finalist by the prestigious James Beard Foundation for 2009′s Best Chef Southeast Award (it’s like the Oscars for chefs). Maybe it’s the mushrooms?

Our favorite dish of Chef Ouita’s is her “Mushroom Sardou” – it’s an update on a classic Creole dish that switches out the traditional creamed spinach with creamed mushrooms. “The mushrooms bring a complexity and earthiness to the dish. They play off the acidity of the artichokes really well. I also use the mushroom sauce as an omelet filling,” says Ouita. Her diners love the new earthy twist on an old favorite. “

Although this dish is up against the traditional eggs Benedict on my brunch menu, it does really well. Out of 100 brunch orders, the Sardou makes up about 15 to 20,” says Ouita.

Mushroom Sardou

Yield: 4

Ingredients

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 shallots, minced
9 ounces button mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
2 tablespoons minced fresh tarragon (2 tsp dried)
1 1/2 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated
8 artichoke bottoms, drained canned or fresh cooked
Lemon juice, as needed
Salt and pepper, as needed
8 large eggs
4 English muffins, split

Directions

Melt butter in large saucepan and sauté shallots until translucent. Add mushrooms and cook until they have released some liquid. Add flour and blend thoroughly to make a roux. Add milk and mix well. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add tarragon. Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, to make a sauce. Add cheese, stir to melt, and remove from heat. (Makes about 3 cups)

Warm the artichoke bottoms in broth or water mixed with a bit of lemon juice. Season with dash of salt. Gently poach the eggs in acidulated water (add a splash of vinegar or lemon juice) until cooked to desired doneness. Toast and butter the English muffins. Gently reheat the mushroom sauce, if necessary. Plate the muffin halves, each topped with an artichoke bottom, poached egg, and about 1/3 cup sauce. Garnish with sprig of tarragon.

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