Few things are as comforting as a fluffy mound of my mother’s fabulous mashed potatoes.

In this very simple, quick and easy recipe, what begins as only fabulous becomes out-of-this-world…that is, if you love mushrooms as much as I do. The more varieties of mushrooms you use, the more fabulous the dish will be. Garlic is important here—it makes mushrooms taste more mushroom-y.

Ingredients:

Note: If you want your mushrooms saucier, you can double the ingredients for the sauce. Just keep the ratio of fat to flour at 1:1.

• 1 recipe fabulous mashed potatoes , or Pareve Mashed Potatoes

• mushrooms—as many varieties as you can find, as much as you want. For 3 pounds of potatoes I’d go with 1—2 pounds of mushrooms

• 2 tablespoons butter or oil—walnut oil would be my first choice here, as it complements the woodsy flavor of the mushrooms—plus more, if needed

• kosher salt and pepper a generous sprinkle of herbs de Provence (you could also use a little sprinkle of chopped fresh basil, tarragon, thyme, or rosemary.

• 2 or more cloves garlic, minced

• 2 tablespoons flour

• 2 tablespoons Madeira

• 1 cup stock of your choice—chicken, no chicken, vegetable, or mushroom stock all work well

Method:

• Use a damp paper towel to wipe all your mushrooms clean. Trim the stems. Some varieties, such as shiitake, have stems that are inedible. Remove those as needed. For the most dramatic presentation, leave the mushrooms whole, unless they’re very large, in which case you can cut them in half or in quarters.

• Warm the butter or oil in a skillet. Add the mushrooms and the garlic with a little salt, pepper, and herve99and sauté until the mushrooms are picking up a nice golden color at the edges.

• Stir in the flour and cook, stirring, until the flour is well incorporated and has begun to develop a bit of color. If it seems a bit dry, add a little more butter or oil. You don’t want your sauce to taste of raw flour! Deglaze the pan with the Madeira, stirring constantly, until the liquid is almost all absorbed.

• Pour in the stock, stirring constantly as you do so. Bring the mushroom sauce to a boil and let it simmer, while stirring, until it’s thickened. This will only take a few minutes.

• Taste and adjust seasonings. You don’t want a very thick sauce here. It should be flowing, just thick enough to not be watery. If it’s a little too thick, add a bit more stock, or even a touch of hot water. If it’s too thin, cook it for another couple of minutes.

• To serve, plate individual portions of mashed potatoes and spoon some mushrooms and their sauce over the top. Or, make a lovely mound of mash on a serving plate withl a lip, and spoon the mushrooms and their sauce over the top, letting it run down the sides and collect around the bottom of the mountain.

• This mushroom sauce can go more places than just to Mashed Potato Mountain. Serve them over chicken cutlets or fish or steaks or meatloaf or mushroom nut loaf…they will make anything you serve them with extra special.

mushroom and mash supreme