This side dish takes about 15 minutes to prepare, unless you have to travel to your kitchen garden to pick the herbs. Use medium-sized or small button mushrooms, but try to use uniform sizes. Plain Pennsylvania mushrooms are a fine substitute for the small button mushrooms once found at the former central food market, Les Halles, in Paris.
4 tablespoons butter
2 pounds button mushrooms, wiped clean and stems trimmed
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
4 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs, including chives, chervil, parsley and tarragon
Lemon juice
Salt and pepper
Melt the butter in a large skillet. Add the mushrooms and saute over high heat for 3 minutes until just starting to brown.
Lower the heat and stir in the garlic and thyme; cover and cook for 5 minutes. Remove the lid and scatter over the remaining herbs. Squeeze over a little lemon juice, season well and serve. Makes 4 servings.
"The Impressionists' Table" by Pamela Todd
Thursday, August 02, 2001
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